


The Coupling Regression

by beeprimo



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 37,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeprimo/pseuds/beeprimo
Summary: Sheldon and Amy are enjoying their honeymoon getaway but an incident rattles one of them and the equilibrium of their treasured relationship. Will their relationship ever be able to achieve homeostasis again? Canon up until 12x01First published on FF.Net
Relationships: Sheldon Cooper/Amy Farrah Fowler
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

The imperceptible rhythm from an external apparatus is all he can hear from his current situation. He recognizes the contraptions adhered to his maimed figure. His body is paralyzed in ways one cannot truly fathom — similar to a massive object weighing you down, blocking your air pipes, and defeating your life force. At the same time, he feels frigid, cold like the Alps, chills shooting from his spine down to his toes. Everything feels disoriented — he's aware but unconscious, alive but cold as death, he perceives but he's numb.

His memories, even the most pointless ones, play in a theater-like environment, right before his own eyes. With nothing to spare — pleasant or not. Different frames of different emotions sorting itself rapidly beyond his own control, waiting for the worthy to be chosen by his subconscious.

And cue in a pitch-black, a noiseless void. His poor body plummeting into it ceaselessly. So hushed, he can hear his blood flowing through his vessels. Panic arises and he becomes aware of his constraints. Anxiety and tension slowly creeping into his body and trying to overpower his form.

And then a harsh, powerful light overwhelming his vision. All known senses are coming together, coordinating itself to one another. First, he hears coherently, the faint rhythm now blaring through his ears. His ability to taste and smell came together in synchrony as a repugnant breeze wafts onto his face. Then, he feels, underneath him a delicate piece supporting his delicate body, making sure he gets the exact amount of comfort. And he sees, it's blurry at first, but then everything transforms coherently. White walls, white sheets, black couch, blue-clad woman, dark, long hair … _Amy._

But his whole body feels constricted - his head, his limbs, his upper body. He needs his rescue. But look at that, his only salvation doesn't even care about his well-being. His mouth and throat have gone stale, moistureless from a week's worth of not talking. Tears started rushing down his face which caused him to whimper. He shakes his head frantically leading him to bleed from his head wounds again.

The commotion caused Amy to stir beside him, her face tainted with fatigue, slowly transformed into distress. "Oh, God! No, no, no! Stop it, Sheldon," as she shrieked and pressed the nurse's button rapidly.

"Sheldon, please stop it!" She held the side of his delicate head between her palms trying to protect him from making further injuries. It pains her to witness Sheldon suffering from her own doing.

It happened in a bat of an eye; Amy leaving his side to relinquished him to his health care providers; administering sedative through his intravenous line; attending to his, yet again, bleeding gash. Slowly, very slowly, his agitation assuaged, and once again, he was out like he was a week ago.

* * *

_Ten days prior_

After the Cooper's wedding merrymaking, the newlyweds braved the Southern California course and drove an approximate two-hour route (says the GPS) to Carlsbad for their first honeymoon destination: Legoland California. Both of them get to pick a destination: Sheldon being in Legoland and Amy opted The Big Apple. For Sheldon, it was a lost cause to change Amy's decision. He doesn't want New York! It's melting pot for hippies who revere the arts and recreational cannabis. But, Amy had the Nikola Tesla monuments and the Natural History Museum under her belt which made Sheldon cease.

It seems unfair for the bride, on her wedding day, to drive around his groom, but Sheldon insisted that he wants to be alone with Amy for the first few hours of their marriage and not be chauffeured by some stranger in an unfamiliar vehicle.

Amy agreed in one condition, "Well, you want your bride all worked up when we arrive at Carlsbad? No way, mister! Here's for a deal: you drive the car for the first hour since we don't need to go anyway higher than 15 mph because of the traffic and I'll take over from there."

Sheldon acquiesced; he does not have much argument to Amy's proposal. That led them to a tiresome two hours and thirty-minute drive with the exception of the fifteen-minute luggage loading and a Sheldon Cooper approve car check-up.

By the time they entered their honeymoon suite, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening. Amy rushed pass Sheldon, immediately had a warm bath and left the bags for Sheldon to carry, much to his annoyance. Doesn't she think that he's also tired from the ride and needs a relaxing bath to soothe his nerves? After a warm bath, Amy emerged from the bathroom, changed into her nightgown, and was out instantly. Sheldon shook his head in disappointment; Amy should be excited about their sanctioned lovemaking, but there she is, snoring her way into slumber. He proceeded to attend to his nightly ablutions and laid down beside her, thinking about their first spat as a married couple.

It wasn't until an hour and a half later, still their wedding night, Amy woke up and with her was an urge to make love to her husband and finally consummate their marriage.

"Hey, Sheldon," Amy crawled into Sheldon's chest and pressed her body into his. Her mouth nibbling its way to his neck and jaw.

"Hmm… it's already late, Amy. What time is it anyway?" Sheldon, eyes still closed, spoke hoarsely. His hands making its way around Amy' waist and started to just cuddle her.

"It's only a quarter past eleven and I thought you're up for some matrimonial festivities, huh?" Amy murmured into his ear. Her soft hands, caressing his broad chest underneath his white shirt, slowly made its way inside his briefs, caressing his growing length. The action made Sheldon groan in her hair and tighten his grip on her.

"I might finish in no time if you continue what you're doing."

His lips landed on hers, kissing her fervidly, while gently pushing her back against their bed. A kiss filled with affection; pouring out all of his emotions, all his sentiments. He feels ecstatic; not the same euphoria from their first time (apprehension turned contentment) nor their engagement (guilt turned assurance) - each occurrence having their corresponding sentiment.

Clothes were discarded gingerly but with the hint of excitement. Their hands were eagerly exploring each other's body - as if it was their first time. Bodies mingled with one another - with a slow pace but filled with intensity, causing them to reach their end goal. Their room was filled with loud outcries of _fasters_ and _harders_ , and groans driven by love. The ecstasy subsided, along with their will to keep awake. Slow pants and heavy breathing took over the room. Sheldon, still trying to recover from their declaration of love, nuzzled into Amy's neck and trying to keep his weight from her which was proven futile. Bodily fluids be damned, he just wants to be sucked into Amy's and reside there for eternity. Amy tried to take in their current situation, running her hands from his nape, down to his spine, all the way to his buttocks, pushing his, still pulsing, member in, not yet ready to let go.

"You are worth the wait, Sheldon Cooper," whispering lovingly in his ear which elicits a stifled sob coming from him.

"I don't believe in fate. But, you… you are an anomaly to that belief, Amy."


	2. Chapter 2

Sunday morning came — to others, it was just an ordinary morning. To Sheldon, it was a morning to look forward to. The physical change is at a minimum, but his perception of Amy is beyond transcendental. Although Sheldon knew that his relationship with Amy is everlasting and marriage is only celebrated for the sake of formality, he still believes that a woman like Amy — brilliant, perceptive, and alluring both inside and out — is worthy of being a part of him. Besides he… he's one heck of a lucky guy to be permitted and be part of her life… forever.

"Good morning, wife," Sheldon crept behind her, in bed as he grazed her right arm, leaving feather kisses on her shoulder and breathing tiny puffs of air onto it.

Still naked from last night's celebration, Amy molded her backside against his body, tightening his hold on her waist.

"Hmm… good morning, my husband. I can't believe we're finally married," Amy murmured softly while twirling her head and took a glimpse of his face and proceeded to caress his cheeks from behind.

"Well, believe it or not, we are now, Amy. In fact, we didn't even have to get married!" Sheldon exclaimed.

Amy sat up irritably and called him out, "Excuse me?! What did you just say?"

Sheldon turned pale and realized what he just said, "Y-you know.. I mean that… What I'm trying to imply is marriage is a futile notion and is irrelevant to the current status of our relationship. I assure you that we will still have our joint bank account; I'll still be going home with you and for you every single day; I will still be taking care of you when you're ill and vice versa; We'll be flexible when it comes to our Relationship Agreement, I'll give you the authority to make any alterations; I will be scheduling our bedroom antics so you don't have to wait every year; and oh when we're ready, we'll conduct a spontaneous weeklong lovefest in your luteal phase, and I will be willing to be your baby daddy."

"Wait, hold up! Am I hearing it correctly? My baby daddy?" Amy was surprised by Sheldon's chosen words.

"Umm… I thought you'd be pleased with the relationship agreement part… turns out that I was wrong. Well, to answer your question, yes 'baby daddy' — the father of our progenies. Why are you so shocked?" Sheldon explained in confusion.

"Where did you get that?" Amy asked skeptically. She's worried that Sheldon might have been surfing the dark web and stumbled upon that term.

"When we were at our wedding reception, I overheard drunk Penny slurring and calling Leonard her baby daddy; I just thought maybe because of his short stature and he's an adult and qualified to be a father, that's why Penny called him that. Then, when I searched its meaning, it said: 'the father of your child whom you're not married or involved with'. I thought that it can be used out of context and also suitable for married couples. I don't know - that's what kids say nowadays, just want to be in." Sheldon explained and just shrugged.

Amy chuckled in relief and rested her head on Sheldon's chest, "Look at you, Sheldon Cooper, trying to be hip and cool! Thought you might have been surfing through NSFW sites."

"In my defense, I was made aware of an unusual phrase and an opportunity to use it arise, so I did; I presume that the 'hip and cool' people consider me as their own. And why would I visit NSFW sites? It is beyond doubt treacherous given that I literally work everywhere." Sheldon pointed out confused.

"Disregard that I said that," Amy said and shrugged the subject away. "Anyway, where do you think we should start our day?" Amy asked.

"How about we take a shower and grab some breakfast?" Sheldon suggested.

"Oooh, love me some shower rendezvous," Amy suggested with a come-hither look, running her fingers on his bare chest.

"As much as I want to ravage you every single second I have, It will have to wait. We need the energy to tour the whole theme park," Sheldon jumped up excitedly to his feet and proceeded to the bathroom.

Giving Amy a look back, he playfully chided, "What are waiting for, Dr. Fowler? We've got a whole day to kill."

* * *

"I absolutely despise it when people call that 'Canadian bacon'," Sheldon whispered to Amy hysterically. "Back bacon should be the only term that the government allows. That thing didn't even originate from Canada. Canada doesn't even recognize this kind of tomfoolery! If you order it in their country you might even get a peameal bacon — who likes cornmeal on their bacon?"

"Hey, what's with the animosity?" Amy asked gently, trying to not spark his 'Canadian bacon' fit.

"These people move utterly snaillike! How are we going to start touring early if they take hours in picking what food to eat? Can't they just grab what's in front of them and move forward? Though we are at the park already and they are apparently having a good time in their so-called visit." They're in the crowded hotel's breakfast buffet trying to get food; It wasn't an easy task for Sheldon to navigate through a lot of people and keep his sanity at the same time. Good thing Amy's there to accompany him through the masses.

"Just keep it easy, Sheldon. Don't let these people ruin our experience." Amy flashed a quasi-smile; knowing that Sheldon is doing this to himself again — whining about others, but aggravating himself in the end.

Sheldon sighed in defeat, realizing his outburst, "I suppose you are correct, Amy. I just want everything to be perfect and on time."

Amy's face softened, admiring his confession, "It's alright, Sheldon. Our flight is not until tomorrow evening, we can still go back in the morning and enjoy some more."

Sheldon smiled from ear to ear, getting Amy's brilliant idea in his head, "It's like you have a Ph.D. in Sheldon L. Cooper studies, Amy!"

* * *

The couple got into a compromise: Amy wanted to visit the Lego-themed water park, Sheldon strongly disagreed and asserted that it is a cesspool of children's excrement; Amy proposed that they, at least, go on some rides that will not 'scare the bejesus out of me' as Sheldon would like to put it. The twosome ended up riding the _Bionicle Teacups —_ which made Sheldon a little dizzy — and _The Dragon —_ which definitely made him a little pale from all the rapid turns and twists, and ups and downs; contrary to what Amy's experiencing — a rush of adrenaline from all exhilarating attractions they've encountered.

After a little downtime, Sheldon and Amy proceeded to explore the Lego Star Wars exhibit, Miniland USA, and the newest Deep Sea Adventure — which fascinated Sheldon despite being in a tight, enclosed submarine with little to no light coming through the vessel.

* * *

"Ooh, look at those seahorses, Amy," Sheldon shrieked like a little boy; the couple is now exploring the Legoland Sea Life exhibit. "Isn't it fascinating that male seahorses have the capacity to carry their own offspring?" Sheldon muttered with a hint of amusement.

"I wish humans also have that kind of mechanism," Amy slightly giggled and nudged Sheldon on his side, "Imagine yourself sporting a baby bump, Sheldon."

"Ha, ha… I suppose when we, humans, evolve get to have that upgrade," Sheldon held Amy's hand and continued their tour.

"What do you think of an upgrade regarding our own life, Sheldon?" Amy asked cautiously.

"Can you be more specific?"

"How about a place of our own?" Amy muttered hesitantly, knowing about Sheldon's aversion to change.

"Don't be silly; we already have a place of our own, Amy." Sheldon scoffed, thinking about how nonsensical Amy's question was.

"No, what I mean is a different home. Maybe a bungalow or a villa in close proximity of our friends and Caltech," Suggested by Amy thoroughly which stunned Sheldon.

"What's on your mind?" Sheldon questioned, pondering on what was Amy contriving.

"So we'll have our privacy… maybe get a spacious place, we can have a home office, a yard to do — "

"Amy…" Sheldon cut her off politely, halting from their walk, "We'll revisit this some other time. We don't have to rush."

Amy was somewhat crestfallen. Although she knew that their nuptials were fresh, she still has little faith in convincing him into a new home.

"Why are you frowning, Amy? C'mon let's go get some lunch! I'm starving." Sheldon said cheerfully, grasping her hand tightly, and flashing a smile onto her.

The two eventually decided to go to the nearest cafeteria from where they were. Lunch has been ordered and paid for. Phone calls and text messages from their friends and family members have been answered quite enthusiastically. As they were nearing the end of their meal, Sheldon excused himself and made his way to the bathroom. That was just a ruse and he intended to go back inside the exhibit and finally claim Amy's wedding gift that he's been working with in the past month: a customized Lego set including their very own version of themselves, complete with different settings and outfits, including their wedding. It's more of an "us" situation than a "her." Nonetheless, he knows that they'll both enjoy the 'building process.'

As the minutes passed by, Amy was still in the cafeteria and patiently waiting for Sheldon, thinking about what's taking him so long. Maybe his attention was diverted once again by a Lego mascot giving out free candies for children. Maybe he gotta do the 'number two' at public, but that seems odd considering who flawless his bathroom schedule is. Curiouser and curiouser Amy had been. It wasn't until her phone rang from an unregistered number. Maybe it was just a distant relative congratulating her on their wedding.

An unfamiliar voice spoke through the phone amidst a faint confusing sound, "Good afternoon, Ms. Fowler. I am from Scripps Memorial Hospital. You are Mr. Sheldon Cooper's emergency contact; he's currently admitted to our emergency department here in Encinitas."


	3. Chapter 3

It was still early in the evening, maybe 7 or 8, when Amy came back to her senses. Dumbfounded and helpless she was a few hours ago. From hearing that emergency call about 6 hours ago, all she did was contemplate about the incident. She still doesn't have a clear grasp of what happened to her husband. They were still high from their recent nuptials and all of a sudden things burned down like a wildfire — destroying their established lives leaving them to figure out themselves how to pick the pieces up.

All she could recall from the doctor's explanation were... _bleeding… head… unconscious._ She needed someone to talk to, even help her with everything. There's only one person that she knew can help her and she needed to contact her immediately.

"Hey, Ames! What's up," Penny greeted through a mouthful of pasta.

"Penny…" Amy replied, her voice filled with distress and melancholy.

Penny stood up from their table and walked away to have some privacy, worried about how Amy responded with a troubled tone, "Amy, what's wrong?"

"It's S–Sheldon, Penny…I don't know what happened…I just received a call that Sheldon's in the hospital… I have really no idea, Penny,"

Amy poured her heart and eyes out. All her worries and pain, out from just one phone call. No fear... no shame… no guilt… proclaiming all repressed agitations. She's been spacing out since arriving in the emergency department. Only lending half of her attention to doctors explaining Sheldon's situation.

She had been told that Sheldon was found knocked — backside up — and bleeding, carrying what seems to be a Lego bag with a customized set and appearance. There are only a few bystanders around due to peak lunch hours and being in close proximity of the restroom away from the pathway. No one really witnessed the incident, just a family who intended to use the restroom found him five minutes later. His upper cervical with an outstretched dent, resembling the impact of an elongated object. Later, the paramedics found out on their assessment that his forehead had a medium-sized gash (most of the bleeding came from there) coming from the other end of his left eyebrow ending near his hairline. Still unresponsive at that time he was transported to the emergency room, identification was found in his possession and Amy was the first one to be aware of his predicament. Up until now, Amy is still clutching that Lego bag close to her chest alongside her purse and clothes that she's been sporting since morning.

It was still unclear to the authorities and to Amy regarding the situation. They've speculated that Sheldon has been attacked by someone from behind with what resembles a slender cylindrical object, possibly a pipe of some sorts, and hit his forehead subsequently on the protruding cement in front of him.

Hours went by and Amy was accompanied in the waiting room by a pajama-clad Leonard and Penny, hitting the road as soon as they ended their call. Sheldon's currently in intensive care because he has not responded coherently since arriving. He opened his eyes numerous times during the first hour but his eyes have not been focusing properly and he's been unresponsive to questions thrown at him.

Amy was a mess as well, too dazed to reply to Penny and Leonard's questions. She was clearly tired of all the happenings of their day. She didn't have time to fix their things in their hotel room let alone fix herself.

"Amy…" Penny, beside a lethargic Leonard, whispered and gave her a concerned look. The girl didn't even budge, still looking straight ahead.

"We need to put together your luggage in your hotel room and check out from there, Amy. We need to move your things closer to here so we can easily return to Sheldon," Caressing her hair and her back, giving her comfort that she's been seeking hours ago.

Leonard leaned into Penny and said in a hushed tone, "Maybe it's better if you accompany her, Penny. Amy's clearly not herself."

It took Amy a few seconds to respond. She rose up gingerly, clutching her own body, still trying to regain her strength, "I can do it myself—"

Penny stood up alongside her, grasping her arm vigorously, "No, Amy. I'll help you. You're tired; we'll return here in the morning." She glanced at Leonard, giving him an assuring look, "Right, Leonard? Text me for any updates, sweetie. I'll get her to rest for a while."

* * *

Amy was perplexed. She has still not discerned the recent occurrence. A hapless affair intervening a staggering ceremony. What happened to Sheldon seemed somnolent; a dream-like event, wishing to be concocted by their own imagination. Instead, it turned out to be an atrocious actuality that may or may not affect the relationship that they had nourished and venerated.

Lying still in bed, beside a sleeping Penny, her thoughts hastened through her mind, thinking about all the possibilities. She was aware that rest was a substantial company in times like this, but unfortunately, sleep has chosen to evade her. So many questions running through her head, but not one— _not even the simple ones—_ got answered.

Sheldon looks so helpless... so unprotected... so exposed. If she could just take away the palpable pain he's in, she could have done it from the very beginning. But life has been cruel, catapulting them into a predicament they ought to endure.

* * *

Another morning transpired, yet Sheldon's condition hasn't made any improvement at all; still senseless as yesterday. Through the night, Raj made an unpremeditated journey down south to accompany Leonard who was looking after Sheldon. Howard and Bernadette were not able to tag along and chose to stop by the following day.

Amy woke up with a throbbing head; might be from the early morning; might be from the prolonged crying throughout the night; she doesn't have time to think about it. Nonetheless, she took a cold, cold shower and proceeded to pack all their belongings unwillingly; not minding Penny's presence in their room. Although all things were put in order, in the inside Amy felt otherwise; crippled and perturbed.

The ride to the hospital was long-winded. A once carefree, jovial Amy turned unusually quiet. All of Penny's questions were answered with a _yes,_ a _no,_ a _hmm,_ or just even a weakened nod. Still astounded. Penny understood. She felt crushed, she felt alone, she felt liable. But hopefully not anymore, they'll try their best to lift her from all her burdens.

* * *

"How was he?" Coming from Amy, her voice sounded hoarse but persistent.

Leonard and Raj were awakened by a staggering noise coming from the newly arrived companions, "Still the same, Amy. His forehead laceration got 9 stitches. The cut is no way near to life-threatening. Although, the doctors said that he has mild to moderate cerebral edema. They're administering osmotherapy to reduce the pressure in his skull. He also has supplement oxygen just to keep his oxygen level stable. The doctors told me that he'll be unconscious for a while to bring the brain activity at a minimum and reduce the swelling, " answered by Leonard, looking terribly worried about Sheldon.

Amy knew that. She knew what was happening and why it was happening. The information just didn't sink into her the first time, even the second one. The talk of his condition was spine-chilling. They might lose him just because of a reckless person whacking people in the head.

"Do you know what happened, Amy?" Raj was the one who blurted the question. Amy replied a resounding _no_.

Leonard glanced at the entrance of the intensive care, deep in his thoughts, "I promise. We'll find it out, Ames."

Their trance was disturbed by Penny leaning into Leonard, whispering, "Leonard, let's find a temporary hotel near so you can rest," helping him up in his forearm, "Raj, take care of Amy. We'll just settle their luggage."

Silence overtook them after their parting. Raj fidgeting his fingers against his knee. Amy slightly dozing off in her chair.

"You okay, Ames?" Raj leaned into Amy.

Amy stared at him, her eyes bloodshot from exhaustion and sorrow, "I'll be frank, Raj; I am not," Amy looked away from him, sighed heavily and closed her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

There was a time when he was young, his father would take him and his brother out every once in a while. His father would call it their _men's outing —_ a mundane phrase fit for a mundane man. Not boys — that was too _juvenile_ as his father would say. He'd take them out on a Friday evening, spend the whole Saturday, and arrive home before the crack of dawn, as his mother relentlessly demanded, to be on time for their church's Sunday morning service.

He was indifferent about it all. He kind of liked it for all the wrong reasons: away from his mother's excessive talk about her _savior_ and the _Lord Almighty_ ; away from his sister's constant bickering with her _girlfriends_ and whose body was the slimmest. Yet, he hated the trip for all the right reasons: he was not able to peruse all his weekly science journals; he was unable to work on his homework and his experiments. _Oh, what a drag._ Being in college at such a young age, weekends were the only days he can give to himself and his father and brother had the guts to seize it from him! He was not brave enough to moan about it or else he would have a taste of his father's rage.

It was clearly ingrained in his mind that certain day. They were once again on their _men's outing_. It was a humid late afternoon in November, given that they're in the south, clearly another important Saturday snatched away from him. His father took them on a port. Sea breeze coming from the east and the afternoon sky was a splatter of warm colors illuminating a path across the deep blue water. Ice cooler filled with beer on one hand, and a fishing rod on the other. Although his father was a drunkard and eventually his brother became one, the man never forced a drink into his mouth _—_ maybe an offering, but not in any way strained.

Every time they'd have this, his father would always leave a _dad-vice_ to them, _who says dad-vice?! such a hackneyed man,_ whether about: car repairs and what not; how strong different alcoholic drinks are; how to woo a woman and how to bed them (which he finds awfully explicit); how to be independent (quite vague); and so much more. That certain day was apparent to him. His father's advice was: "men don't shed tears, they start one."

At first, he believed it. He doesn't show that he is weak, and he doesn't show his emotions (that might be the reason for his friends calling him a robot). The latter part of the phrase confused him for a long time. His mother would always shed a tear when his father did something upsetting. She would shed one when his brother got in all sorts of trouble. She also cried when he left for college at a very young age. Maybe that was what the man was implying _—_ men are the reason why women, also other people, cry. Eventually, he was led to believe that way.

Then came Amy, at first he was icy and aloof towards her. But then, Amy came into his life warming his and his father's belief — that men, just like women, they are capable of feeling. Amy was there when he felt down and useless. Amy was there when he was celebrating his success. Amy was there when he felt confused and wondering. Amy never faltered. Yet, was he there when the tables have turned? He _believed_ he was. He never would intentionally hurt her. He apologized to her for all his mistakes, which she gladly accepted. He showed Amy his everlasting love in the most unconventional, Sheldon Cooper ways. He cried for Amy, cried with Amy, and cried because of Amy. But was it enough to prove to his father and to Amy that he has what it takes to reveal his emotions and be responsible for them?

* * *

It was already the next evening after the incident when Amy realized that she was not able to contact their family. She first told her mother and father. Not giving them too much information in hopes to keep them distant for a while. The thought of having her parents nearby, in her vulnerable state, overwhelmed her. She just wanted to keep her focus on getting Sheldon better and not on her mother's criticism. The second one was Mrs. Cooper. Knowing that his mother was extremely worried about him all the time, she was the last one to be called.

"Hello, Mrs. Cooper…" Amy greeted shakily through her phone.

"Hi'ya, dear! What did I say 'bout Mrs. Cooper? Let's stick with Mary, shall we? By the way, how Y'all doin'?" Mary blurted enthusiastically.

"Mary, I have to tell you something…" Amy muttered hesitantly.

"Oh no! Are y'all pregnant? How'd it happened? Were ya hen pecking right before marriage?" Mary exclaimed hysterically.

 _Oh, how I wish that it was that simple_.

"We're not there yet, Mary," Amy sighed heavily, knowing what was about to happen, "S–Sheldon was in an accident. Someone attacked him. W–We still don't know who was it and what was his motive. Don't worry, I'm here with him and I'll take care of him." Amy concealed a sob, not willing to show Mary how broken she is.

Mary gasp and was quiet for a while, "He's okay now, isn't he? Do you need my help? I'll come up there and take care of him."

Amy shook her head fervently, rubbing a tear in her face with her sleeves, _Yes, Mary! I need your help. I can't do this alone._ "Oh no...no, Mary. It's alright. I can take care of him. Our friends are here with us, although they're going home tomorrow. But it's okay, they're coming back again on the weekend."

"Are you sure, hon? I can always fly outta here to take care of Shelly." Mary suggested unsurely. Of course, she'll do her mighty best to take care of him.

"It's okay, Mary. I can do it myself," trying her best to sound brave amidst all their hardship.

"Alright, Amy. But call me as soon as he wakes up. And oh, Amy...don't hesitate to ask me for any help," Mary uttered warmly.

"Yes, Mary. I will…Bye," and their call was ended.

Amy gingerly pocketed her phone, holding onto the handrails just outside the waiting room. Penny, Leonard, and Raj sympathetically remained with her for almost half of the day. Occasionally, offering her food to eat and lightening her mood–which she found a little bit helpful.

She was grateful for the company. Having the idea of her friends returning back to Pasadena frightened her, although, she knew that they'll be back in no time.

Puffing a deep breath, she returned to the merely empty waiting room. She was welcomed by a sleeping Leonard and Raj, alongside Penny who was occupied with her phone.

"Hi, Ames. How was it?" Penny turned her attention to the recently arrived Amy.

Amy gazed at her and gave her a tight smile, "It was okay... I guess. I already let them know. Mrs. Cooper persistently told me that she's willing to fly in and share the duty of taking care of Sheldon, but I told her that I'll be fine on my own," she looked away, not saying much to Penny, "I also told the same to my parents."

"Was it okay, though? I don't doubt your capability of taking care of him; it's just that… it'll be rough and you might need someone here."

"I assure you, I am can do it. Besides, you're here with me. I still have someone to help me with this."

"Okay, Ames. If that's what makes you comfortable, we are just here to support you," Penny embraced her and gave her a pat in the back, "Thank you, Penny," Amy replied faintly.

Their moment was interrupted by a loud snore coming from Leonard. Penny and Amy chuckled softly, breaking the tension from talking about, Sheldon's condition.

* * *

It was immensely quiet when she entered the room. The noises were coming from the machines connected to him. Although his body and his face looked fine, excluding the gauze that occupied half of his forehead, the scene will truly make someone anxious. Someone you treasure and hold dear, put in that situation will definitely spur anxiety.

Amy strode the remaining distance beside Sheldon's bed. His bed was slightly elevated, giving room to his upper neck injury. She looked at him closely. He still definitely looked like Sheldon, that's for sure. She can clearly see how frazzled he was, stubble growing on his face.

"Hey, Sheldon," She approached him, hooked her hand to his left hand and noticed his still intact wedding ring. _Their wedding ring_

"You are still into me, huh?" Amy chuckled softly and held his hand closely, ultimately giving his hand and his ring a soft kiss.

"You better come back right away, Shelly," Amy flashed him a smile as if he can see her and smile back at her.

It's true...their lives will be incomplete without Sheldon. Just like the conversation they had a few Christmases ago; Sheldon was the sole reason why the gang was all together. Sure, he was egotistical, an insensitive fool at most times, but Sheldon is Sheldon in his own ways.

She stood up carefully and ran her fingers onto his delicate head, "Don't you worry. We'll find out what happened."

She was hoping they would. They hoped too. Everyone convinced her to check on the police report, which in the end, she did. The interview and the process were nerve-wracking. She remembered walking into the police station, 15 minutes away from Sheldon.

_It was the only remaining day before their friends leave for Pasadena and she decided to follow up the police report that was filed. Entering the building, she was welcomed by an eerily quiet vibe, considering how early it was in the morning. She was greeted by a formidable dressed, middle-aged man._

" _You must be Amy Fowler?" The man popped the question._

" _Hi... yes. I'm looking for a Detective Phillips... He's the one that I talked to when I called," Amy gave the man a quick glance and gazed around the hall_ – _filled with frames of different police officers._

" _I am the one, Ms. Fowler. You're here for an update regarding what happened to Mr. Sheldon Cooper," Amy nodded. Mentally chuckling about how she and Sheldon were being addressed. He'll definitely have a fit._

" _Ah, yes, Detective Phillips...about that. Is there any lead?" Detective Phillips stood up and led her into his desk where Sheldon's file was being kept. He reached for it, perused it for a while, and handed it to Amy._

" _Here's the evidence that we've already gathered. As you can see from the photos grabbed from the surveillance camera. This man," Detective Phillips pointed out, "was the last one to be seen entering the hallway where the bathroom was and where Mr. Cooper was last seen…and do you see that? He has a backpack with something sticking out of it from the top. We zoomed in and the shape protruding resembles that of a baseball bat handle."_

_And there was their mystery man and apparently, the mystery weapon. He never looked directly at the camera but his features still manifest in the photos. A large plump man, probably a little taller than Sheldon; sporting a plain white baseball hat, contrasting his dusky, medium-length curled hair underneath it; a dark rucksack bag with a little green accent, protruding from the top, there was the unmistaken baseball bat handle._

_She was appalled. The man in the photo was most likely the person who attacked Sheldon. Could he be the one?_


	5. Chapter 5

It was nearing midnight, lights were out, blinds down, the only light source is coming from his flat screen television. Lying on his filthy, dark blue bean bag in only his red boxers and an Xbox controller between both hands, he suddenly remembered that fulfilling day he had.

 _What an amazing day indeed!_ He's been keeping an eye on that Sheldon fellow for years! Stalking him on every social media accounts he can find. Tracking down his every location. Even making fake accounts to stalk his friends and apparently, his _wife._ _Who can tell that fool could snag himself a wife?! Poor lady, having to deal with that mentally ill man._

He almost had a chance when he saw through Facebook that Sheldon was having an interstate train travel. Sadly for him, the man never left the crowded station. He spied and spied for hours from the outside of the station, but that jerk never went out. Sheldon was just there doing the weirdest things: eating hot dogs from different stands and eventually throwing it away after two bites and; counting and categorizing ketchup packets from all state stations where he'd been. In the end, he was forced to abort his plans the minute he saw Sheldon rode back into a train after spending three tedious hours in the train station.

But finally, the time was right! Sheldon's within the vicinity, why not grab the chance? And it was apparently their wedding night and chose to stay at Legoland. Lucky for him that was just 4 miles from his home and he can just swish in and out in no time. He concocted an elaborate plan that would make Sheldon Cooper suffer. He does not intend to kill the man. No, that would be just horrendous. _He's not a murderer for Christ's sake!_ He just wanted to have fun with the man!

And so here he was, spending his week at home for a while before running out of the state and live a free man. Sure that no one noticed him, he made himself pretty invisible that day–just as big ass nerd strutting the _majestic_ Legoland. He scouted the area beforehand and although there were a myriad amount of surveillance cameras scattered around the park, he made sure that he never glanced at it. In the end, he was indeed the victor of their game.

What's left for him to do is box up all his important stuff, maybe tweak his hairstyle a little bit and grow facial hair, and leave the house for good. His parents would never notice, they wouldn't even care if he got ran over and be one with the road.

In just a few days, just a little bit, he'll be gone forever. Changing everything there is to change.

* * *

It has been a day since she got an update on Sheldon's case. She's been busying herself with Sheldon that the new information slipped out of her mind. She still has no idea who that man was, but she has a hunch that that man knew Sheldon all along.

"Hey, Leonard." Amy greeted through her phone. She rested her hand above Sheldon's and fiddled with it, noticing how warm it was.

"Hi, Amy. How is everything?"

"Well, the police have a new lead about our suspect. I might need a little help from you." Amy exited Sheldon's room. She hoped that her conversation with Leonard might lead them to solve the mystery.

"I see. Lay it on me."

"I have emailed a photo for all of you to take a look at. Maybe you can shed light on this. Thank you so much, Leonard. Call me back if there's anything."

That was a tough start. She should have sent that hours ago, but that thought vanished as soon as she got the opportunity to sleep. There were a lot of sleepless nights during their _honeymoon_. But, it was from endless worrying and not from endless lovemaking, which the latter she preferred best.

* * *

Back at Leonard and Penny's apartment, the gang was gathered after work after Leonard received the email from Amy during the afternoon. Producing a copy for all of them, the group was intently looking at the only photo that Amy sent. It was supposedly the only photo that would point them to the person who assaulted Sheldon. At first, it was confusing; the man's aura gave off an ' _I'm just your ordinary guy, strolling through Legoland'_ vibe _._ But then, he seems oddly familiar. Like they've already seen him before.

"What do you think, Howard?" Raj asked, perusing his copy carefully.

"You know what? I feel an uncanny connection to him." Howard said persuasively.

"Really?! Do you know this guy?" Leonard said determinedly. At this point, all eyes were on him, hoping to close the gap between Sheldon and the mystery man.

"I feel like he is... Jewish. My _Jew-dar_ is pinging like crazy!" Howard screamed and slapped his knee, laughing hysterically, "Did you get it?! _Jew-dar…"_

Bernadette looked at him annoyed and sarcastically said, "Really? That's your connection?"

"Well, yeah he looks Jewish. No... he is Jewish!" Howard looked at it like an old person reading without glasses, "Look at that! One point for me, huh…" raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Leonard sighed and looked at him intently, "You're not helping Howard."

"Well... I'm sorry. I was just lightening up the mood. You all seem stressed."

"Thank you for that, Howard, but it does sound inappropriate at times," Raj uttered casually.

"He looks really, really familiar," Penny blurted out of the blue.

"Honey... we've established that already."

"No… no... Leonard. I think I've really met him." Penny uttered pressingly.

"Do you guys have any idea?" Leonard gave each one of them a look.

"Ooh, ooh, do you remember that research assistant Sheldon hired as his cousin, Leo?" Raj insinuated rather enthusiastically.

"Nah… That dude doesn't look like that," Howard pointed at the photo, "Look, that's quite a heavy man. Do you remember what that Leo looked like? He's much much skinnier than that!"

"Yeah, Howard has a point. I still see him in Caltech from afar and just so you know, he's really not gaining any muscle." Raj pointed out.

"Hey! Don't ridicule the guy! Maybe he's just maintaining his shape." Bernadette indicated.

"As if he has a shape…" Leonard said which caused the boys to burst into giggles.

Bernadette sighed, knowing how she lost their squabble. "How 'bout this, do you remember that bully you had in high school," Bernadette said and snapped her finger, "the one that visited you here in California. I think he goes by Johnny Sprinkleton or something?"

"Oh… Right! Jimmy Speckerman. Yes... yes, I remember him!" Leonard concurred.

Raj and Howard looked at each other with a hint of victory.

"Well, he does have the bod of our guy–"

"–and he does know Sheldon, right?"

Leonard glanced at Raj and Howard, "But he barely knew Sheldon. He only knew him as my roommate, heck, I think he doesn't even remember Sheldon's name! Besides, Jimmy's from New Jersey."

Everybody looked defeated. Every person that they suggested seems to have a connection to Sheldon, but every suggestion has a loophole. They can't just point at everyone that's connected to Sheldon.

In the white sofa was Penny; she was deep in her thought that all words entering her ear go out the other. She knew the man. She's met the man. She had a feeling that man has a motive.

"Do you guys remember when Sheldon's World of War account got hacked?"

"Yes…" The foursome said in unison.

"Do you know remember that guy who stole his account? Tall, plump, curly hair… and get this, lives in Carlsbad, right…"

The four was astonished; Raj's jaw literally dropped, Howard and Bernadette stared at each other–faces adorned with surprise, Leonard shaking his head sideways as if he wasn't believing it.

"Oh my God, Penny!" Raj and Bernadette screamed.

"You are a genius, woman!" Howard interjected. Penny smirked and nodded victoriously.

"What was his name again, Howard?" Leonard asked.

"I believed it was Todd Zarnecki."

"Can a nerd even do that? I mean... his reasons were so shallow." Bernie interrupted.

"But Bernie, when we went there, he sounded like a psycho," Raj explained

"We need to tell, Amy!" Leonard announced panicked, grabbing a hold of his phone."

"No, we have to go to Amy! That Todd guy might come back. Leonard told her were on our way!" Penny stood up and grabbed her keys, pointing at Howard and Bernadette, "You two figure out who's staying to take care of the kids."

Leonard rushed to the door, phone in one hand, "Hey, Ames! We're on our way. Don't leave the hospital! Stay with Sheldon!"


	6. Chapter 6

The gang's ride to Encinitas was tiresome. Their Wednesday evening turned out to be a hustled journey for them. They've already established the identity of the man from the surveillance camera and already alerted Amy about Todd Zarnecki — the only thing left to do was to accompany her for further investigations.

At first, Amy was befuddled on the man's identity. The first mention of his name didn't ring a bell at all but, when Penny explained it further, a retrospective of conversations came flashing to her. _Oh! The man Sheldon was talking and laughing about! He was hysterical about the fact that Penny kicked his balls._

As Penny told her about the man's possible motive, she was much more confused. " _We think that his ego crumbled when I kicked him; Maybe that's the reason he's keeping an eye on Sheldon — he's trying to get his revenge._ To be honest, His motive seems trivial. _Why was he so enraged about these childish things? Couldn't he just accept that he deserved that because he aggravated someone?_

The second she ended the call with Penny, she contacted Detective Phillips.

"Hello, Detective Phillips. It's Amy Fowler… for the case of Sheldon Cooper." Amy said calmly but inside her, she's frantically screaming.

"Ah, yes... I remember, Miss Fowler. May I know what's the reason behind this call?

"I think I know our suspect... I mean my friends know — they recognize the man from the photo."

Detective Phillips searched for his notepad and pen, trying to jot down all the incoming information. "And who was it, Miss Fowler…"

"He goes by the name Todd Zarnecki. From what I can recall, he was the one who stole Sheldon's account in a game or something. Though, I never saw him in person by I've heard of him once from Sheldon and our friends."

"Alright, Miss Fowler. It'd be helpful if you have anyone that has seen him personally to come down here and have them testify." Detective Phillips insinuated, having already written down the name for their possible suspect.

"Yes… yes, Detective. They're already on their way here."

"That's good. I'll be hearing from all of you in a few hours. I'm on a night shift, so might as well get testimonies from you. Thanks for the tip, Miss Fowler."

"You're welcome, Detective Phillips. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Miss Fowler."

* * *

She waited outside the hospital entrance, chilling night breeze penetrating through her jacket. _What an oddly cold end-of-May night in California._

Through the street lamps illuminating the area, she can barely recognize the shadows coming from her friends. Slowly emerging from the dark, she was greeted by the group: Leonard, Penny, Bernadette, and Howard. Oddly, no Raj in sight.

"Hey, guys!" Amy waved and flashed a timid smile to them.

The four greeted and hugged her. Apologizing for the spontaneous evening trip.

"We're sorry, Ames. We just wanted to make sure that you are safe." Penny held both Amy's shoulders as she was explaining to her.

The group proceeded to walk the peaceful hallway to the waiting room, encountering little to no one.

"Thanks for making the trip here. I just talked to Detective Phillips, he said if you can visit him at the police station in Carlsbad and give testimonies." Amy broke the silence, still walking at a normal pace, throwing her friends a look.

"Sure, we can go after we visit Sheldon," Leonard suggested.

They were quiet for a while when Amy realized, "By the way, where's Raj?"

Howard smiled mischievously and told Amy, "He got the nanny duty with Stuart tonight. Don't worry Bernie and I will return in the morning…"

Bernadette interrupted with her squeaky voice, "The kids might mistakenly grab Raj's boobs and squeeze the hell out of it if I don't return back home."

The statement elicited a laugh from Amy, imagining the Wolowitz kids crawling underneath Raj's shirt while he's sleeping. "Don't worry, Detective Phillips said it won't take too long."

Once they've arrived at the waiting area, Leonard and Penny excused themselves to take a peek at Sheldon, while Bernadette and Howard stayed with Amy.

Bernadette grabbed Amy's hand saying, "Amy, don't you need to accompany them for later?"

Amy shook her head sideways, "No, It's okay. I'll stay here and take care of him," and flashed a timid smile.

"Are you sure, Ames? Bernie can stay here since she doesn't have any connection to this…" Howard got a look from Bernie, "What I mean is…Uhm…Bernie can stay because she, frankly, don't know our suspect and we need to get Amy out for a while, right honey?" Howard smiled ear to ear to Bernie, which in return, he got a pout.

Bernadette sighed and submitted; of course, she'd do everything for her friend, "Just bring me some In-N-Out; I've been dying for one."

Amy chuckled. In fact, she's been craving for proper food, though fast food is not considered as _proper_ , having a burger or two would definitely lighten up her mood.

"Thanks for doing that for me, Bernie. Don't worry, I'll bring something when we return. We won't be long."

"Oooh...You better be, Ames!" Bernadette announced in her high pitched voice and laughed alongside Amy and her husband.

Penny and Leonard exited the room, looking at their friends, "So, shall we?" Leonard inquired

The three of them stood up and agreed together.

* * *

"Well, that was tough." Penny groaned from sitting down and waiting.

It was two hours and three testimonies later when they finally finished their agenda. They were asked mostly the same questions. _Do you know his name? When was the last time you saw him? Can you describe this man thoroughly?_

The three of them were precise with their answers, giving much confidence about their statements. Knowing that all the information that they have given were accurate and reliable.

Turns out that Detective Phillips already gathered information about Todd Zarnecki; he just needed some testimonies to support all claims that Todd was the attacker and to acquire a warrant as soon as possible.

Amy was also interviewed. She was made aware that Todd had numerous minor misdemeanor charges including a battery in Comic-Con, assault in San Diego Zoo, stalking some celebrities in LA, and traffic violations floating around his record. He either served a few days at the prison or bailed out by his parents who spent a lot just to get him out of trouble. But according to Detective Phillips, his record has been clean for the past year that he wasn't even considered as one of the suspects. It was only when he got the tip and Todd Zarnecki was back on that list again.

"I appreciate all of you coming over here and providing us with all the information that we needed." Detective Phillips approached each one of them and shook hands.

"It was nothing, Sir. Anything for Sheldon." Leonard assured and flashed a smile.

"Just contact me, Detective. I hope we find our attacker soon." Amy said.

It wasn't usual for Amy to lose _hope._ She was a woman of Science; accepts failure, tries again, or just move forward... But at that time, it seemed impossible to believe that they'll be able to find Sheldon's attacker. Yes, it's true…Sheldon is a hard-headed, self-conceited man, but who would go leaps and bounds just to inflict this pain onto him? _It just doesn't make any sense._

Having Sheldon alive and breathing, although no way near to consciousness, made her grateful for his condition. To be honest, it could have been worse for him.

Returning to Sheldon's intensive suite, with a paper bag in hand, she witnessed the man in front of her–still frail and elusive. Bernadette escaped the room minutes ago, right after they arrived, giving the room to Sheldon and Amy.

Amy approached his bedside, ruffling what's left of his hair softly. Although Sheldon still has hair on top of his head, his neck area up to his earlobe was shaved all the way through–to give room for his wound to heal up without any disturbances.

She grasped his head, just above his wound, and kissed his right temple, breathing his scent in. As a tear escaped from her eye, she said with a voice full of determination, "Please wake up now, Sheldon."


	7. Chapter 7

Daylight peeked through the Venetian blinds, illuminating his fairly dim room. At last, it was the day that he'll finally move out from this hell house he grew up in. Having packed all his valuable items, grew facial hair and shaved his head, and removing all the pieces of information that might be used to locate him, the only thing left to do was to load all boxes in his vehicle.

As a matter of fact, he still doesn't know where this trip would end up. He could drive to the desert Arizona and find an edifice in the barren land or he could just drive up to Northern California or Oregon or Washington and a lone cabin in the damp, saturated forest.

Rising up from his filthy mattress, he immediately grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt lying conspicuously on his bedside. He carried two medium-sized boxes and a knapsack to their garage where his newly tuned up Prius awaits.

They wouldn't know; his friends wouldn't know. His neighbors wouldn't also. His parents wouldn't even give a shit! _Leaving the house this early to go to church? What a bunch of lunatics!_ He walked down the stairs and was stopped in his tracks when the doorbell rang. _Who could it be?_ Opening the door, their old lady neighbor, Mrs. Rupert asking again for the morning paper that was inadvertently given to their house.

"Oh, hello dear! I see you change your look a little bit, huh? Anywho, I think my morning paper was accidentally dropped in here. Would you mind getting it for me?"

Rolling his eye, he dropped his boxes and proceeded to find the newspaper. Upon finding it, he hurried into the front door and slammed the door in front of the lady upon giving the paper.

He sighed, locked the door forcefully, and reached to pick up the boxes when another buzz from the doorbell.

"What the hell do you want?!" He shouted and violently unlocked the door only to be greeted by a man in a dress shirt with a blue tie on.

"Good morning. I have a warrant of arrest for Mr. Todd Zarnecki." Detective Phillips said with a clear voice and presented the warrant to him.

Todd was taken aback. It was a reticent five seconds before he threw the boxes toward Detective Phillips, which the latter dodged with ease, and ran carelessly inside. Two more policemen backed up Detective Phillips when he started chasing after Todd.

Todd dashed for his life to their back door, surprised knowing that he doesn't have any background with physical activities. He opened the door in hopes of escaping to the neighbor's backyard. Instead, he came up against two more police officers, holding up their guns in front of him.

That's when the hot pursuit drew to close; an unpleasant, awkward stalemate for him. The police officers handcuffed Todd in time with his parents' arrival from the morning service. His parents were startled, pleading Detective Phillips to release him, to which he didn't concede.

His parents were hysterical as he was directed outside their porch to the car. He was boarded into the squad car and escorted into the precinct where he was kept before trial.

* * *

Amy was awoken by the shrilling noise coming from her shoulder bag. She grabbed her phone and upon looking at it, it displayed the name of her mother-in-law. She went for the door and let out a yawn before answering the phone.

"Hello, Mary."

"Hi'ya, dear. How's everythin' there?"

"I'm fine right here. Sheldon's been stable, Mary; the swelling is reducing gradually. The doctors were weaning him from barbiturates for the last 30 hours and told me yesterday night that he might wake up very soon."

"Oh, thank Lord for that! I might fly up there tomorrow evening just to check up on you."

"I appreciate that, Mary. Our friends were just here last night but they had to leave about an hour ago; your company will much be appreciated since they won't visit until Sunday." Amy answered.

"Why were they visiting in a weekday."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you; we already have a lead about the attacker's identity. That's why they went here–they gave the detective some information." Amy leaned her dead tired body against the wall and continued, "Apparently, Sheldon, the guys, and Penny had an encounter with the man a few years back. The guy just wanted to get his revenge on Sheldon, so to speak."

"My, I sure hope they do find that man! My poor Shelly doesn't deserve this."

"He really doesn't, Mary..." Amy paused, "...Mary, I should go. It's been a long night."

"Alright, dear. I should let you have your sleep. Bye." Mary ended the call.

Amy put her phone inside her pocket and was about to open the door when her phone rang once again, displaying Detective Phillips' name.

She answered, "Hello, Detective Phillips. How can I help you."

"Good morning, Amy. We just got Todd Zarnecki into our custody 20 minutes ago. He's in the interrogation room now waiting for his lawyer. I just wanted to let you know."

All her doubts and pain disappeared as soon as she heard the news. She couldn't contain her tears and replied, "That's great news, Detective. Thank you so much for that!"

"No worries, Ms. Fowler...I have to go but I'll keep you posted. Goodbye." Detective Phillips said in a rush.

Amy rested her forehead against the wall and cried with relief. She had to calm down after a few seconds when her breathing got strained and her head started throbbing. As she grasped the doorknob, her vision started to become hazy. The next thing she knew, everything went black.

* * *

"Sweetie, why don't you call Seibert and take the day off?" Penny plopped down their sofa after a long night and a long drive.

Leonard walked passed her into the kitchen, prepared coffee, and said, "Yeah, I just have to return the reading references I borrowed from the library; they are due today. I'll be back with lunch.

Penny flashed a smile and replied, "Thanks, Sweetie. I'm tired. I just wanna sleep all day." Penny closed her eyes and leaned on the pillow. "I do hope they find Todd. I feel sorry for Sheldon and Amy; they didn't know what was coming."

Leonard glanced back at her, "Agree. Hope this doesn't do any long-term harm on Sheldon or their marriage."

* * *

Amy woke up in a surprisingly familiar room similar to Sheldon's, but fewer machines, less noise. A woman in blue, which she recognized as one of the nurses in charge of Sheldon and befriended her, entered the room and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Hi, Amy. How are you doing?"

"Hi, Ginny. What happened?" Amy asked.

"You passed out outside Sheldon's room as I was doing my rounds. Low blood sugar and dehydration. I hooked you up on IV; don't worry just dextrose." Ginny relieved her.

Indeed, looking at her left hand, she has an intravenous line connected.

"I've been not getting enough sleep and food for the past few days. My last meal was half a burger at around midnight and a PBJ sandwich and yogurt 12 hours before that." Amy replied and placed her hand on her mildly throbbing head. "My head's been aching since yesterday. I should have noticed it.

"Well, There's our culprit," Ginny said lightheartedly. "Don't worry. I'll get you something to eat."

She returned with two egg salad sandwiches and gave it to Amy.

"Eat and rest, Amy. I'll keep you on fluids for roughly an hour; if everything goes fine, I'll remove this and you can return to Sheldon." Ginny placed the sandwiches on her bedside.

"Thank you, Ginny. I promise I'll take care of myself."

"You better be, Amy. You know Sheldon's waiting for you." Ginny smiled at her.

"Well, tell me if anything happens," Amy replied.

"Sure do. I'll return in an hour." Ginny said as she opened the door and exited.

As soon as Ginny said goodbye, Amy's stomach grumbled; she sure was starving. She devoured the proffered sandwiches one after the other and consumed half a bottle of water. Lying on the bed once again and slumbered her way through the hour.

Walking through the hall leading to Sheldon's room an hour and a half after, she was still wary. She was planning to return to Sheldon's room and sleep beside him till lunch. _It was still 10 o'clock. I can get some more._

Entering the room, she approached Sheldon. Scrutinizing his face and body; looking for any signs of consciousness. _Still breathing._ She drew near his face and kissed softly his cheeks and neck repeatedly — inhaling in a mixture of hospital smell and his own scent. She then held his hand as she sat down and positioned her head on his bed.

It was fifteen minutes into her sleep when something stirred her up from her sleep. While her forehead still down, she sensed movements coming from above her. She held up her face and was shocked when Sheldon was writhing in distress.

" _Oh, God! No, no, no! Stop it, Sheldon," as she shrieked and pressed the nurse's button rapidly._

_She held his delicate head between her palms carefully, preventing him to cause more injuries to his body._

" _Sheldon, please stop," She shrieked._

It happened so fast — doctors and nurses flooded in as she was escorted outside.

A few minutes, that felt like hours, passed and she was permitted to go back inside. As nurses walked past her, Sheldon's doctor, Dr. Hayes, informed her that he was given some calming medicine just to reduce his agitation and put him back to sleep.

"Nothing strong, Amy. Just thirty minutes to an hour of sleep and he'll wake up all calm and collected. Call us again if he wakes up." Patting her back and exited.

She waited, and waited for him. Sat beside him. Counting every second left until he's awake. Making sure that all her attention will be for him the moment he opened his eyes. Watching his breathing, counting his heartbeat. Feeling the warmth radiating from his body. _That's a good sign, isn't it?_ Talking to him about super asymmetry... their wedding... those silly things they've done in the past. Expecting for a response. _A modest one will be enough, Sheldon._


	8. Chapter 8

He's been in here before. And, frankly, he doesn't want to stay in any longer. _This again?_ He was certain that he's been out before. He doesn't have any clue why they made him recrudesce to this space. In his mind and heart, he knows that he's ready. He was just startled the first time hence the reaction; nothing more.

_Can you imagine being plummeted down into nowhere and end up in a bed, aching and confused? Who wouldn't freak out, huh? Dr. Sheldon Cooper would._

Well, he since been accustomed to the warmth that he's feeling right now. He has got nothing to complain. Dragging across his body, feeling in his extremities. It's a symphony of warmth and affection that transcended to continuity. And who was he to object?

* * *

The second time was very much anticipated. Amy continued what she was doing: caressing his hands (or anywhere that may bring comfort to him), conversing with him, and even dabbing a warm, damp cloth to his arms as if he has a fever (No, he's doesn't, Amy!).

She's afraid that he'll react like the first time. _He must have felt alone when he saw me sleeping. That must explain the breakdown._ She's fighting the good fight, right? Staying awake, even though Ginny eagerly told her not to do so, and wait for him to wake up.

His deep blue eyes were ajar once again. _Will this be our predicament, Sheldon? Me waiting for you to gain consciousness and then you'll fall back into it again._

She gazed at him, massaged his hands and arms, and whispered, "Hello, Sheldon."

She calmly pressed the nurse's button, waiting for them to come. She went near his face and clutched his cheeks, "Are you alright now, Shelly?" Sheldon responded by lightly moving his hands tightly clasped by Amy.

Amy never remembered smiling this genuinely for the past days. She's been reserving this one for him. Nurses and doctors rushed into his room, seemingly recreating their episode from a while back. Amy out, doctors in. Although it looked like chaos when they barged in, it wasn't long before she was invited again.

Despite Sheldon being vocal and answering the doctor's questions, he still has a bit of slurred and weakened voice. Amy can hear how he struggled as he was trying to produce words out. When asked about what happened to that day and days prior, Sheldon was shockingly tight-lipped.

_Why can't I remember it? Stupid Sheldon, think! You are a genius! Why can't you think?_

His breathing got hitched. Amy sensed his discomfort and squeezed her way beside him. Sheldon instantly clutched his arms around hers, as if he was drowning in deep water, and put his chin on her shoulders.

"I can't, Amy!" Sheldon shouted as he clung tightly.

His doctor ordered nurses to go out and give Sheldon some space, leaving him, Sheldon, and Amy.

Amy kissed the top of his head as she caressed his back. "It's okay, Sheldon. Just calm down. You don't want them to make you sleep again, do you?"

"No, no, no… please don't!" Sheldon pleaded and shook his head carefully, knowing that doing it harshly will cause him pain.

"Shhh... it's alright now. There's nothing to be afraid of, right? Just breathe for me, Sheldon." Amy continued what she was doing until he was calmed.

Sheldon appeared to be reverting back to his old self — stubborn, vulnerable, and skeptical. Although he still was up until their wedding, all instances were at a minimum, and Amy can make Sheldon the opposite of who he was in the past.

When Sheldon got a hold of himself, his grip on Amy relaxed. That didn't stop Amy from hugging him. Dr. Hayes' voice emerged from the back, asking Amy, "Amy, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Sheldon looked at Amy with melancholy, begging her to stay. Amy answered, "I'll be back."

Amy followed him just outside the door. It was explained to her that they will conduct a brain scan, assess his condition, and go on from that. Either Sheldon can go home in a few days or he has to stay further will be based on his results. Amy was praying, to whoever God there is willing to help, to have some good news for her. They've been through enough. Where will He or She draw the line?

She went inside once again and welcomed by Sheldon rested slightly inclined and spaced out. She approached and said greeted him. Sheldon just looked at her. His face not showing any emotions.

"Why? What's happening?" Amy asked. Worried about how expressionless he was.

"Nothing… I'm just tired." He shifted his attention to the curtain and looked at the light beaming through the slit. "What's the date and time?"

Amy held out her arm and looked at her watch. "It is Thursday, May 24th and the time is a quarter to 1 o'clock. Are you hungry?"

"Yes." Still not looking at her.

"Will you be alright if I go out and fetch something?"

"Couldn't be better."

* * *

It took Amy 15 minutes to buy food and return back to Sheldon's room. She worked in texting Mary and her friends about Sheldon's condition and Todd's arrest while waiting to be served lunch.

' _Hello. I just wanted to tell you that Sheldon is now conscious and I got a call that Todd was already in police custody.'_

Amy switched her phone to silent to avoid calls and messages interrupting her and Sheldon's talk.

Once returning to his room, his position prior to her leaving was pretty much the same. She went to the table near the foot of his bed and started to arrange their lunch. Sheldon was just observing Amy from the moment she laid down the paper bag and take out the food to her approaching him.

"I asked the nurse if you can eat already and she said you're only allowed soft foods for the next 24 hours hence the chicken congee. I was in a rush so I grabbed what's nearby." Amy was stirring the congee trying to keep the temperature down for consumption while waiting for hers to cool down.

"I already told Mary and our friends that you are now awake. Your mother will be here tomorrow evening." Amy raised a spoonful of congee and drew up the spoon to his mouth which he gladly accepted.

They were quiet for a while exchanging looks as his food was slowly consumed.

"You said it was the 24th of May, right?" Sheldon queried.

"Yes."

"What happened to other the days of May?"

"Uhm… You were asleep for more than a week, Sheldon."

"Yes... I thought of that… What about before that?"

There was a pause after Sheldon questioned the events before that. Amy was confused as was Sheldon.

"We had our wedding, Sheldon," Amy explained gingerly and put aside his bowl. Trying to keep her sanity as Sheldon dropped the "I don't remember anything" bomb. "You're here in Encinitas now. We almost are done with the first _phase_ of our honeymoon."

"Oooh... The Legoland thing? Was it that soon?"

"Yes, Sheldon. We had a year of planning, remember?" Amy said with a hitched voice. Hoping Sheldon won't say that he forgot everything that happened to their relationship.

Sheldon just stared at her curiously as the pain was clearly ingrained in her face. Reaching out for her hand, he instantly saw the engagement ring that he gave her alongside an unfamiliar ring with it.

Upon looking at her rings he stated, "Amy, to be honest, I don't remember anything happened that weekend... It was a weekend, right?" Amy nodded. "When I woke up, I have this feeling that something important and life-changing happened to me; I just don't know what it was or if it was just a figment of my imagination."

Amy should understand. There's a chance that Sheldon might not remember what happened. Being on a lot of heavy medications and being so close to the day of the attack, it was possible that his memory of that weekend was little to none

"I apologize Amy. I didn't mean to be in this predicament; it was all my fault." Sheldon said apologetically, still clutching Amy's hand.

Amy's facial expression turned from hurt and sorrow to sympathy and understanding. Sheldon shouldn't be blaming himself; he needs to know the truth behind the incident. But not now. Maybe not even tomorrow. He does not need any stressors right now. What he needed to do was rest and not think about anything.

"No, Sheldon... It was not your fault. I assure you; you had nothing to do with it."

"Is that so?" Amy nodded to his question. Sheldon just kept his gaze at her. His eyes were bloodshot and still struggling to keep focus at times; always bouncing from one object to the other. His voice was raspy from days of his literal inconversable state. His face half-covered with his one-week stubble that has been itching his neck and mouth area since waking up.

"Was this the ring you chose?" Sheldon questioned and looked at her hand.

"Yes."

"...and I suppose that one's my end of the bargain?" He pointed out to a necklace with his free hand. As if on cue, Amy reached up to her necklace, with his ring as the pendant, to remind her of its existence.

"Yes, it is. I removed it when you got here…" Amy removed the necklace and put the ring on her palm. "...I honestly don't know where to keep it. It was too big for me, so wearing it in my finger seemed illogical. Why not wear it as a necklace, huh?"

"Good. Although, a little bit nifty for my liking. But it suits you. Keep it until I get out of here, will you?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Everything looks excellent, Amy." Dr. Hayes interjected while perusing Sheldon's brain scan.

"Is it really?" Amy asked with a hint of hope and excitement.

"Sure is, Amy." Dr. Hayes flashed a timid smile which was unusual for the stern physician.

Amy sighed in great relief. That was the only thing she wanted to hear from his doctor; nothing else. It was quite fascinating how Sheldon's recovery went smoothly. It wasn't until now that she realized how fortunate he truly was to have an incredibly rapid recovery like this.

With that already succeeding remarkably, the only thing left to worry about was the root cause of their dilemma. It has been 10 hours after receiving the call regarding Todd and up until now, there has been no update. No texts, no calls, nothing.

She walked out the door as her conversation with Dr. Hayes came to an end. Walking along the hallway, she only had a specific thing in mind: to reclaim the 12 days of not being able to bond with her husband. She wanted to revel into their relationship over and over again.

* * *

_*Knock, knock*_

Sheldon was startled by the thumping noise emanating from the door.

"Amy." Sheldon nudged Amy who was sleeping and snoring beside him. "Amy." _Such a deep sleeper._

The knocks became more pronounced as the second went by. Sheldon sighed and just did the thing himself. "Come in!" He shouted with his might.

An unfamiliar man (at least for Sheldon) clad with a dress shirt and tie underneath a navy blue sweater vest entered the room. His waist adorned with a police badge suspended from his belt. He had this pensive aura coming from him; the one where you admire his composure and one where you fear his austerity.

It wasn't long before his demeanor entirely changed. Shock followed by content manifested in his face.

"Can I help you?" Sheldon asked.

"Ah… yes, Mr. Cooper. I'm here for Ms. Fowler."

"Amy!" Sheldon poked Amy one more time which caused her to finally wake up.

Confusion and slight irritation were present from her face and voice as her head shot up. "What?!" She said and looked at him with annoyance.

Sheldon looked at her and back to the man still huddled at the door. He pointed at him which caused Amy to look back. Amy stood up in a flash and fixed herself within a second. "Hi, Detective Phillips! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

"Sorry for the early morning interruption, Ms. Fowler, but I've got some news."

Amy's face lightened up as she heard the word 'news'. Good or bad (well, she's hoping for a good one), she just doesn't care; she needed to hear something and put this to an end.

"Shall we speak outside?" Detective Phillips asked.

A sudden voice came from the back of Amy, "No. You can speak with Amy in here; I wouldn't mind." Sheldon announced with conviction.

Amy looked at him with hesitation. As if reading what's on her mind, Sheldon replied, "I believe that I do have the right to hear this, Amy." She nodded at him and turned her attention to Detective Phillips. "Well, you heard him."

"Alright… I already informed you yesterday that we already had Todd Zarnecki in our custody. Well, we interrogated him for 14 hours straight, and luckily, the guy confessed to doing it."

Amy was stunned. _Finally!_ She had a hard time keeping her composure and asked in a hurry, "What happens next?"

"He's guilty now; no more trial for him. 2 years in prison plus a year in probation. This is his third strike. The penalty will be heavier than the last two."

Meanwhile, Sheldon in the background was still befuddled, maybe from the medicine, but still, he doesn't understand who was the man and what was his motive. _So he's a detective… And there was a crime committed? And Amy was somewhat involved? And Todd who?_

In midst of his reverie, Amy and Detective Phillips bid adieu and the latter departed the room. Amy turned back to Sheldon in his, once again, pensive state.

"That was Detective Phillips from the Carlsbad police station…" Amy started, "You heard him right?" Amy asked.

"Yes..." There was silence before Sheldon inquired, "Who were you talking about?"

"Sheldon, I'll keep this simple." Amy paused. "The man we're talking about was the man who inflicted this to you." Amy pointed out his injuries. "I think you probably knew him, but what matters is he's now locked up and he will never bother us again."

"But who was it?!" Sheldon's tone got higher. After realizing what he just did, he said "I apologize, Amy. I just got agitated... and I'm confused… and… and I absolutely do not have an idea of what is happening right now." He got a little disgruntled and emotions surged into him in a snap.

Amy approached him, her face evident of worry with a hint of clemency. "It's okay, Sheldon. When you get out of here, we'll have an extensive conversation where you can ask me anything. You and I will not hold back with the questions. I want you to know that there is no undisclosed information floating around." Amy touched his face. "You can get through this."

* * *

"Oh… hiya, dear! I missed you!" Mary scurried herself into the automatic glass doors of the hospital lobby. Amy, waiting on the other side, waved and received a tight embrace.

"Hello, Mary. I'm so glad that you came all the way here." Amy greeted and reciprocated the hug.

Mary grasped her shoulders and gazed at her at arm's lengths. "You be tough. How's he, anyway?"

Amy and Mary moved their way to Sheldon's suite. "The recovery is impeccable. If he continues to be this determined, we can probably get out of here in 5 days tops." Amy announced heartily.

She glanced at Mary's belongings: her leather handbag which she surely remembered as the bag Sheldon gave to Mary many Christmases ago, which she helped in picking out, and a duffle bag with a size of a miniature dog. "I believe you won't be staying here for long?"

Mary eyed her bags and said, "Oh… this? I apologize, dear; I won't be. I have this church fellowship on Sunday afternoon and my attendance is necessary. I hope you understand."

"Oh, no, no… It's okay. I understand. I hope Sheldon does. He's been a bit sentimental and loopy at times."

"Is he? We might have a delicate parting on Sunday."

As they entered the room, Sheldon's upper body was inclined as he was sleeping. His neck supported by a pillow that restricted his head to lay on the mattress forcefully. Mary noticed a pinkish to reddish stitched wound from the end of his left eyebrow halfway past his forehead. His lower head wrapped with gauze for protection. Contrary to what she envisioned, Sheldon rather looked fetching; not that he wasn't. He still retained the color of his skin — alabaster with a hint of rose hue on his face — no way near lackluster. And he doesn't have any facial hair, considering the duration of his stay.

"Let me guess, Shelly insisted you to make him look presentable just for me?" Mary presumed and smiled at the thought of his little boy making himself look good.

Amy just grinned and nodded at Mary's hypothesis. But in reality, the itchiness was just getting into Sheldon's nerves that Amy just surrendered and insisted that she'll take care of it.

" _Amy, please! This is making me insane!" Sheldon growled and scratched his jaw and neck violently._

" _Hey, hey, hey… stop that! You'll hurt yourself." She reprimanded him over her iPad and just continued reading._

" _But, Amy… this is madness! I can't function like this!"_

" _We'll remove it once we move out here in intensive care."_

_Amy immersed herself in reading science journals in her device when a sudden sniff broke the silence. She looked up and eyed Sheldon whose head was down and wiped something from his face from time to time. His shoulder heavily jerked up and down._

_She put away her iPad and promptly stood up to approach him. Placing her hand underneath his head, she drew his head up at gazed at his tear-stained face. "Why… What's the matter?"_

_Sheldon involuntarily pouted and said, "This is making me itch, Amy..."_

" _I know, but is it a reason to cry?"_

" _No… but it's like there is something crawling in my skin and I don't like it… it's making me furious and frustrated…" He responded as the words fell out._

" _But the nurses won't –"_

" _Please, Amy. I don't like the feel of this…"_

_Amy observed his face as tears just kept running down to his neck. 'Poor, Sheldon. You can't say no to that face!' Amy sighed in defeat and grazed her lips on his, nibbling his lower lip as she broke away. She said, "One day, you'll grow this out, Lothario," as she let go of his face and went for the door._

"I hope he doesn't burden you with anything," Mary spoke, breaking her thoughts.

"Oh, no. He is certainly not a burden. He's just not well." He truly wasn't; she's having a hard time adjusting to their current situation.

Sheldon stirred in his hospital bed. He opened his droopy eyes and, in one snap, the scene before him filled his heart to the brim. _Oh, Amy_ … _Oh, mother!_ "Mommy…"

"Hello, Shelly."

Sheldon's eyes lightened up from the enthusiasm, but it might be from the impending tears. Mary looked at him the way he did. He opened his arms and received the warmest hug from Mary. "Thank you, Mom…"


	10. Chapter 10

Amy woke up to the fleeting sound of vehicles outside their window. Her feet tangled around the sheets, feeling the warmth emanating from her companion. She opened her eyes and was welcomed by a seraphic face in front of her. Day by day, his condition got even better than the previous one that his doctors were confident that he'll have a full recovery. It has been 20 hours since Sheldon has been discharged from the hospital. Three days before that, he was transferred to a private room — much bigger than his previous one. He was in a lot of medications that constantly made his spirits high and always delighted to see someone even though he doesn't even know them.

Fortunately, their friends were grateful enough to sponsor half of the price of an apartment, which she repeatedly decline but was defeated in the end. The place was within the area and Amy decided for them to stay for a couple of weeks, just to have Sheldon near his doctors and for them to have a little downtime, especially after their honeymoon was canceled. Knowing how Sheldon was when he's ill and traveling, she definitely needed to make him comfortable at all costs.

A one-bedroom, one-bathroom was the place to go. Situated on the fourth floor of an apartment complex nearby, a contemporary style, open floor plan apartment with cream walls, black, gray, and brown accents, and natural light coming from the enormous windows. As they walk in the door, the place gives off a homey atmosphere; it doesn't strike with elegance, instead, it welcomed them with serenity. An L-shaped warm gray sofa was situated in the living room, alongside a light brown coffee table, a wall-mounted TV, and below it was a brick fireplace that she found unusual for the average temperature in Southern California. The loft boasted a kitchen equipped with tools fit for a master chef, which she was definitely not.

The bathroom exhibited a typical bathtub with a showerhead, a huge mirror situated above the white, porcelain sink, and a toilet in the nook. And that master bedroom… man, that room was magnificent, not in a lavish way, but veering on the minimalist style. It wasn't as enormous as the two prior rooms but it was suitable enough for the two of them. Unlike the other rooms, the bedroom had a romantic and dreamy vibe due to the warm light illuminating the room. Every furniture was grand compared to their own, especially that king-sized bed that took the spotlight from all the other furniture. Ooh… what she would give up to have that bed at home… all those callow things they could do...

She looked up at his face, still deep in his sleep. Remembering how difficult it was to get him out of the hospital without any help. She pushed him out on a wheelchair despite how heavy he was, at least she doesn't have to drag him out across the parking lot. Upon riding in their car, which Penny intentionally left after their last visit, he immediately whined about how hot it was and demanded ice cream.

Sheldon miraculously remembered about the 'talk' that he was promised. Despite being heavily drugged, that was the first thing that came to his mind once they barely settled in their transitory home. Amy knew better. She knew that moving out of the hospital, barely moving around for 2 weeks, to walking to their way into their apartment, Sheldon will be exhausted and stressed just moving around. Besides, she, too, was in no condition to have a tête-á-téte with Sheldon Cooper.

At least, Amy still has the opportunity to experience, first hand, all of Sheldon's quirks. She still has the chance to converse with him, make his breakfast, make him the happiest man alive. Heck, she wouldn't complain if Sheldon beseeched her to drive him to numerous places he enjoyed. He was given a second life. Thinking about their break up and how they manage to come to into each other's lives one more time. Their relationship managed to get its third shot at living.

She glanced at him one last time, jumped up from the bed, wore her robe, and proceeded to start the morning with a hearty breakfast and a cup of coffee.

Sheldon awoke freezing from the air conditioning and the distraught sheets barely covering his body. Unlike his usual routine, he ditched his pajama top and white shirt, which left him with his loose pajama pants. It was unusual for him to have this set up but it was painfully humid yesterday that he decided to let loose.

He sat up gingerly in their bed, still perplexed by his surroundings. His head still throbbing from his injuries but he had those medicines to bring it to a minimum. Once he got to complete every information that he had gathered to start the day, he stood up, still weak and took his time, grabbed his robe, and went outside.

He was welcomed by the robust aroma coming from the kitchen. He rounded the hallway and witnessed Amy finishing off their breakfast. It was just your typical American breakfast, nothing extravagant. Eggs, bacon, sausages, with toast on the side, which he doesn't hate nor love. He was hoping for some pancakes, but who was he to protest?

Sheldon was still treading water around Amy since coming back from the hospital. Everything he did was well thought and premeditated. He sat down carefully on the nearest seat, his eyes looking away from Amy.

"Good morning, Sheldon!" Amy greeted as she placed the plate on her side and onto Sheldon's.

"Good morning." Sheldon breathed softly, his eyes still averting from Amy's.

"Are you alright?" Amy asked warmly, trying to catch his gaze beyond the fog produce by her hot coffee.

Sheldon nodded, looked down at his plate, and began to devour his food.

The whole breakfast was quiet, well, all the noise were just coming from Amy anyway. Sheldon's answers to Amy's queries were reserved. Some questions he even didn't answer. Upon finishing their breakfast, Amy gathered their plates and went on to wash them. Sheldon just sat there for a while and observed her movements, graceful and yet precise. Rhythmic movements that he revered for the longest time. That woman…

He stood up and walked passed the couch into the closed curtains. He deliberately opened them, revealing a sliding glass door that led to the balcony. He didn't dare to proceed and open the glass door, instead, he just stayed where he was and looked out from the inside. The sun was still rising, barely illuminating the place. Their apartment was facing the street. Trees lined up across them, as well as shrubs with vivid hues and bus benches. People occasionally walking around with dogs for their morning jog.

He was deep in his thoughts when he felt a soft touch on his arm.

"Time for your medicine," Amy said as she handed him a tablet followed by a glass of water.

He popped the pill on his mouth and guzzled half of the water. Upon returning the glass to her, he looked out the window once more. Noticing how pensive Sheldon was, Amy went back to his side and placed her hand on his chest.

"Is everything fine?"

Sheldon looked down at her face, his once stern face softened as he saw how worried she was. Sheldon shook his head. "I'm sorry. My head is still throbbing."

Amy's body was hardly flushed on his own. She looked at him warmly, caressing circles on his chest with her palm. Sheldon felt it. It was loving and affectionate. Almost like her mother's but this one has an exceptional bonus on it.

"Are you tired? Do you want to lie down and take a nap?" Amy continued stroking his chest.

Sheldon positioned his hand on top of Amy's and held it to his mouth. He looked at her once more and grazed his lips on her hand multiple times. Each time, it gave Amy a reason to believe in Sheldon and their relationship.

"Can we have the talk now, Amy?" Sheldon urged her softly.

Amy briefly thought about her approach.

"How about you shower first?" Amy proposed.

"And you join me?" Sheldon suggested seriously which got a cackle from Amy.

"No! But I'll look after you when you shower. You might not control yourself having me there." Amy insinuated.

Sheldon smiled timidly. "Okay. After that, we'll have our talk?"

"After mine."

"After yours, it is," Sheldon said and went for the bathroom.

"How come I don't get to share a bath with you?" Sheldon grumbled to Amy as soon as she went out of their bedroom. Her smell invaded his senses, vanilla and coffee. Sweet and luscious scent overpowering the room. Amy's scent thrashing his own!

Amy chuckled at his predicament. She was only wearing a loose shirt and black cycling shorts that was hidden beneath her shirt. Her wet hair was up in a towel when she emerged from the room and proceeded to lower it down on her way to the couch, leaving her hair damp and frizzy.

"As I've told you, you might be distracted having me there. I can't afford for you to have another injury."

Sheldon observed her as she plopped down the couch facing him. "But promise me that you'll join me soon?"

Amy rested her hand on his knee, "I will, stud."

"Okay! Onto our talk." Amy announced with clarity, determined to answer all the questions. She raised her right leg and situated it in the couch, leaving the other one dangling.

"Fire away, Sheldon."

"Alright. Uhmm… You said we are married now, right?" Sheldon asked, his eyes averting to Amy's left hand and noticed the rings. They are real…

"Yes. It was real… it is real."

"Can you tell me all that happened that day?"

Amy gathered her thoughts, making sure there was nothing amiss. "May 12th. It was a Saturday; we both picked it… the date. As usual, we refuse to obey all wedding beliefs that one must follow. We were together the morning of the wedding; we only parted when we were getting ready. We spent time together, in the same room in our wedding outfits, just minutes before the ceremony started."

"Was it wonderful?" Sheldon asked hopefully.

Amy smiled, "Yes... yes it was. You were wonderful."

"I bet you were, too," Sheldon whispered.

Amy's face turned bright red from the compliment. "Thanks, Sheldon. Anyways, after that, we drove all the way to Carlsbad to have the first phase of our honeymoon."

Sheldon thought for awhile. His cheeks blushed from his impending question. "Did we… umm… consummate our marriage?"

"Oh, don't you fret none. We did... and you were fantastic, Sheldon."

Sheldon brought his head down. "Well… I hope so. Is this where we are now? Carlsbad?" He said, trying to avoid the compliment.

"No. We're in Encinitas, now. The paramedics brought you to a hospital here." Amy got a little closer to Sheldon, laying her hand to his knee.

"That's why this place doesn't look familiar at all…" Sheldon concluded after realizing their location. "...and what happened to me?" Sheldon cocked his head in curiosity, seeking an explanation for everything.

Amy let out a breath, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "It happened on the 13th. We were enjoying our day on Legoland. We visited different Lego exhibits, tried a few rides — you were up for a compromise…" Amy chuckled, remembering Sheldon's reactions during the rides, "we went for the aquarium. It was exhilarating seeing all those sea creatures surrounding us. Oh, that day was rather beautiful… or so I thought." Amy's demeanor changed. Her eyes filled with emotions he didn't want to see. Her lips trembled as she recalled the events.

"We were just enjoying our late lunch when you excused yourself. You said you were only going to the bathroom, Sheldon." She looked up, her eyes glistening from the impending tears. "I waited and waited… You didn't come back. That's when I received an anonymous call saying that you were injured and being transported to the hospital. I was worried but I thought to myself maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe Sheldon just overreacted to something, called 911 and requested to be on the hospital." Amy wiped off tears, trying to gain her sanity in order to keep going. "But I was wrong Sheldon… I was wrong."

Sheldon watched her as she violently dried her face. He stood up and took the tissue box on the counter. He deliberately pulled out enough tissue to wipe her face. Pulling her closer, he brought her chin up, softly wiping off tears. "I'm sorry, Amy. If I did something that hurt you…"

"No. That's the better part, Sheldon; it wasn't your fault. It's this guy named Todd Zarnecki. He was the one who hacked into your World of Warcraft account and subsequently got his balls kneed by Penny. As childish as it sounds like, he wanted his revenge because you embarrassed him." Amy explained in between tears.

"Oh, Amy…"

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I should have accompanied you to prevent this from happening. You were on the verge of dying, Sheldon! I cannot unsee your lifeless body, and how you were connected to machines just to keep you alive. That was the worst week of my life, Sheldon. And, physically, I don't have anyone here; it's just you and me."

Sheldon held her cheeks between his hands and attempted to touch his forehead on hers. Realizing his wound, he placed Amy's head on the nook of his neck. Smelling and placing soft kisses on her hair.

"You don't have to worry no more, Amy. He's in jail now, like you've said. He can't harm us anymore."

"I do hope so, Sheldon."


	11. Chapter 11

"Amy, is there a possibility that I'll fail to remember everything?" Sheldon asked out of the blue, relinquishing his hand to Amy.

Amy stopped in her tracks. She looked up to him with worry in her eyes. _I pleaded to whoever it was to leave something behind for me. At least try to ingrain me in your memory._

"You know what, we really have no clue if you will ever recall anything. We just waited for you to gain consciousness and for them to assess your capacity to remember."

"Were you scared that I will never remember you or us?"

"At first. I saw your initial brain scan result, Sheldon, and based on that, I felt that there was something wrong. But when you first opened your eyes, I saw the longing in your gaze. It was like you were begging me to help you… comfort you. I knew then that you still, somewhat, recognize me even though you weren't telling me anything."

"I blacked out on that part already, Amy. I barely remember what happened on that suite I was confined in." Sheldon replied.

There's not much Amy can do, in those times, to control his condition. Truth be told, she pleaded, not pray, to all deities known to exist to spare Sheldon the ability to perceive her. He can relearn the art of physics. He can rediscover the wonders of science fiction and technology and video games. But he can't reignite his relationships once the memories have been damaged. Sure, he can relearn their names and how they are related, but it just feels different the 2nd time around.

Unlike physics and science fiction and video games, you need to build the foundation of the relationship itself. Star Wars has its own foundation, it's own narrative. It's all given; you just have to learn it by watching the movies and following the cult. In the case of his relationship with Amy (as well as the others), you have to build it in order to learn from it. And if you made a mistake, patch it up and make it pretty again. And frankly, forgetting how to do it or who do it with is a lot of hard work to master.

Sheldon and Amy followed the path deeper into the garden. They've passed through shrubbery and flowering plants and were enveloped by refreshing air, suddenly shielding them from the sun.

"Look at how tall that bamboo is! It's taller than you, Sheldon." Amy said in pure amazement, tugging Sheldon's arm. Their pathway was surrounded by bamboo grasses in different species and lengths, shading them from the morning sun.

"Believe or not, that bamboo isn't in its maturity. They can grow up to 30 meters when they reach their peak." Sheldon answered.

"I know that. But we rarely see bamboo in the city. It's just fascinating that they have it in here and we get to see it up close." Amy explained.

"It's intriguing how they almost look like trees due to their towering appearance, but they are de facto flowering plants under the grass family."

This was the first time in 3 days that Sheldon got to explore what's beyond their apartment complex. Being bedridden for more than a week, it was difficult to gain his strength and stamina back. From the time being released from the hospital, Amy has been accompanying Sheldon for morning and late afternoon walks to build up strength. After an early breakfast, Amy and Sheldon go for a walk around the block, resting if need be. Same with their late afternoon walk, after a short nap, which Sheldon unusually insisted on taking, they were off to take another one. Surprisingly, it was going well that on his third day being out, she settled on bringing him elsewhere.

Amy decided to bring him to a place where he feels relaxed and not crowded by people, ultimately going to a garden, a few minutes from their apartment. Brimming with diverse flora and fauna, specifically flowering plants and insects, she was certain that Sheldon will be thrilled to be there despite his aversion in biology in the past.

"Sheldon, wake up now. We're going for a walk." Amy singsonged.

"Hmm…"

"Come on now, you love our walks right?"

"Uh-huh…" Sheldon muttered under his breath, lying on his side to avoid the pain from his injuries.

"We'll go elsewhere. Somewhere special."

"If going to the opposing block is considered as special, I might have to decline your offer," Sheldon grumbled, his eyes still shut.

Amy giggled breathily, "No, silly… We're really going out, in our car, and go walk someplace else.

That piqued Sheldon's interest. Opening his eyes in half-mast, he asked, "And where would it be?"

"San Diego Botanic Garden. Just 7 minutes from here, by vehicle, of course… Lots of plants, lots of shade to cool us up, a bench every 150 meters for the most part. You don't have to worry; we'll just take it slow. You can tell me if you're tired and we'll take a rest."

"Hmm… that sounds interesting. After that, we go for frozen yogurt and you've got a deal." Sheldon proposed.

"Frozen yogurt sounds fun. You've got yourself a deal, Mister."

Since having their talk 2 days ago, Sheldon and Amy got a chance to rekindle their relationship, both platonically and romantically. Although not as zealous as their relationship prior to the incident, Sheldon's opening up little by little to Amy. He's been timid about personal topics and initiating physical contact, be it hand-holding, cuddling, kissing — he's done it all in a subdued way, but mostly, Amy initiated it. For Amy, it wasn't that hard getting her Sheldon back.

A long trek followed by a cold treat would really make someone worn out by the former yet satisfied by the latter. After a quick lunch at their local cafe downstairs, the pair was ready to retire to their bed even if their day was only halfway done.

Entering the door in a haste, Sheldon left Amy behind his trail. "Be careful, Sheldon!" as Amy shouted. He started to strip off his windbreaker, followed by his two shirts, next was his pants, and down to his underwear as he sashayed his way to the bathroom for a cold shower. Recalling a promised bath days ago, Amy mimicked Sheldon's actions seconds ago as she went for the bathroom door. She was greeted by the sound of water trickling down, hitting his body, and ultimately the surface. She peeked her head and was welcomed by a naked and wet Sheldon.

"Hi. Can I come in?" Amy asked.

Sheldon held in a tiny scream as Amy's head emerged from the side of the curtain. "You scared me, Amy!"

"Sorry, Sheldon," Amy said apologetically. "Can I jump in there with you?"

Sheldon sighed, "Why not."

Amy shimmied out of her panties and lift her right foot in, followed by the other. Once under the stream, she noticed Sheldon's eyes roaming up and down her body like she was some sort of a medal, perhaps a Nobel Prize. His future Nobel Prize.

"My eyes are up here, Sheldon," Amy said, pointing 2 fingers to Sheldon's eyes an onto hers, making an 'I am watching you' gesture.

"You scared the living daylights out of me, Amy!" Sheldon said, avoiding Amy's accusations. The good thing was Amy had initiated to buy an anti-slip mat for their bathtub on one of her grocery runs. Although not as similar to their 'adhesive ducks' at home, Sheldon was amused to find that it was designed with atoms in it.

Amy placed her hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes, "Aww, I'm sorry, honey."

"Honey?" Sheldon scoffed as he reached for the shampoo bottle behind Amy

"Yes… honey. I just blurted it out randomly… Maybe tomorrow, I'll call you 'babe' or 'love' or 'darling'... We may never know, honey." Amy flashed a smile.

"Well, as long as you don't blurt it out when we're in public…" Sheldon replied.

"May I?" Amy asked as she observed Sheldon putting shampoo in his hair. Since joining him to the shower, she has done nothing but to admire Sheldon in action.

She lowered his head in agreement, letting Amy do the work.

"Do they hurt? Your wounds?" Amy asked, maneuvering through his head to avoid hurting him. She inspected his wounds, slightly pinkish on the surface and you can see the formation of scab.

"Yeah… they do hurt to some extent… not that I can't handle it. It just feels like someone's pinching them and pressing into it. And it's itchy at times. I just want to scratch it until it disappears." Sheldon replied, reaching for his body wash and lathered it up on his loofah.

"It's normal to feel that. But no scratching, okay? You might open it up and cause infection… We don't want you to suffer again, do we?" Amy said which got Sheldon to agree with her.

Amy abandoned his hair and grabbed the loofah from his hands. She focused her attention to his neck instead, as she seized Sheldon's current task once again. Left with nothing to do, he sighed and examined Amy's ministrations, instead.

"Did you enjoy our little trip today?" Amy asked. She moved on from his neck and now paid attention to his back.

"I did. Although, It was much more extreme to what we do every day. That trail drained all my energy, Amy… By the looks of it, I might be dehydrated…" Sheldon concluded as Amy made him face her again, now busy scrubbing his arms.

Amy chuckled, "The empty water jug says it all… We'll hydrate first before we go to bed."

Amy's hand wandered from his arms into the smattering of hair on his chest, deliberately scrubbing them up as well. Traveling her hand downward, she lathered up his abdomen and went for his shaft. Amy pumped his flaccid penis which got a reaction from Sheldon.

"Amy!" Sheldon admonished Amy. He gave her an astounded look yet he did nothing to stop her.

"What? I'm just cleaning you up. It has to be your whole body." Amy said seriously. She continued to pump him several times leading to his semi-erect penis.

Amy left his genitalia and lathered up more soap to proceed down to his feet. Apparently, her unfinished business left Sheldon wanting for more.

"Amy!" Sheldon grumbled.

"What now?"

"You have to finish that…"

"Yes… I'm not yet done. I still have to do your feet, remember."

"Not that. What I mean was this…" Sheldon said, nodding on to his erection.

"I thought you said you were already tired…" Amy said coyly.

"Am not… You have to finish that."

"I have to?"

"Yes, Amy… finish what you've started." Sheldon beseeched.

Amy gazed at how uncomfortable he was in his current situation. His eyes pleading for more of it. Lathering up her hand, she blindly reached for his penis, still picking up on his reactions.

Sheldon tightened his eyes as Amy ran her hand up and down. He turned off the water and placed his left hand on the wall behind Amy. He tried to keep his balance by gripping Amy's waist with his right hand. Amy's movement was in no rush, slow and calm, and neither was Sheldon's. She sluggishly pumped Sheldon, grabbing his shaft with just the right amount of pressure.

Amy leaned her head to Sheldon's neck planting kisses and occasionally sucking it. "Are you okay?" Amy whispered in his ear.

Sheldon jerked his hips, eyes still shut. "Ugh… yes, couldn't be better," as he grumbled. "Faster, Amy…"

"Hmm… but you're exhausted. We'll go slow. I wouldn't want to tire you," Amy said. She loosely hooked her other hand on his back through his armpits. Her right hand still doing its work.

"I am as tired as can be. Might as well drain it all… faster, Amy!" Sheldon groaned.

Amy tightened his grip on his manhood. Sheldon to tighten his hold on her, too. She gradually increased her speed which left Sheldon bucking uncontrollably. "Ahh… more… more." Amy lapped on his neck and sucked her way up to his earlobe, giving it much attention as well. "Let it out, Sheldon," Amy whispered as she continued her frantic movements, going faster and faster by the second.

His eyes tightly shut. His heartbeat accelerated. His mouth ajar. Sheldon couldn't take it anymore. It was an overwhelming his senses. He bucked his hips one last time and shot his load to Amy's belly. Amy didn't fail him. He let out a loud groan as she milked him for 20 more seconds, trying to clean him empty. Amy turned on the water once more. She cleaned up his now soft penis and her belly. The idea of having a full bath eluded her as she looked at Sheldon's face. Eyes closed, He was still panting with his mouth open. She landed a soft kiss on his mouth and encircled both her arms him, trying to keep him up.

"Are you okay, Sheldon?" Amy asked.

Sheldon opened his droopy eyes and gazed at her. He mirrored Amy's actions and enveloped her waist with both his hands. Placing his chin on Amy's shoulder, "Tired…"

"I'll go get your robe. Hold on to something."

Amy went out of the bathtub and grabbed the nearest towel on the rack. She dried herself hastily and wrapped the towel around her body. She lent out her hand for Sheldon to take and wiped his body with the remaining towel. Wrapping him up in his robe, Amy walked him through the door and into their bedroom. She sat him on their bed, gazed at how he's hugging his body. She snagged a nightshirt, not even bothering to wear her undergarment. She approached Sheldon with his pajamas on hand. Noticing how he was quivering and how pale his lips were, Amy dropped his change of clothes beside him and envelop his face with her hand.

"Oh, God! Sheldon, are you okay?" Amy panicked. "You should have told me to stop!" She cradled his head on her chest.

"I'm fine, Amy. Just cold… and tired." Sheldon said weakly. He held her close to his body as Amy was rubbing his back and keeping him warm.

In a few seconds, Amy held the shirt over his head. She carefully pulled it down to his arms and to his body. Sheldon held up his hips as Amy slid up his briefs followed by his pants. Sheldon stood up on his side of the bed, rolled down the neatly aligned comforter, and snuggled himself inside. Feeling the warmth, Sheldon slowly drifted off only to be distracted by the movements in the bed. It was Amy as she lowered herself in and pressed her body on Sheldon.

"I shouldn't have done that," Amy whispered in his neck.

"I insisted it," Sheldon replied.

"But you were clearly exhausted… Oh, I shouldn't have pushed you in the first place." Amy said, chiding herself for not stopping.

"What's done is done, Amy. You don't need to apologize. I enjoyed it; it was fun."

"Really?" Amy questioned.

Sheldon opened his eyes and gazed at her, "Of course it was. Didn't you see my reaction? Besides, it has been a long time…"

"More than 3 weeks…"

"See. A long time."

"You were brimming today." Amy hinted.

"Hmm…"

"Usually, it only takes 8-12 seconds for you to be finished. Today, it was a little more than 20 seconds."

"Of course, you noticed that… Like I've said, it was a long time, Amy." Sheldon replied.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hi, Leonard. What gives?" Amy greeted warmly through the mountain of clothing beside her.

"Hi, Amy. Penny and I were wondering if maybe we could visit you there tomorrow? I just finished a research yesterday and Penny's got no appointment tomorrow. We're hoping to catch up on the both of you." Leonard exclaimed joyously.

Amy eyed Sheldon who was giving her a hand on folding a week's worth of laundry. Sheldon, on the other hand, was busy with his earphones on, listening to an unknown recording of a Stephen Hawking lecture in 1973, way before he was all _computerized,_ like the way he put it. Mouthing the exact words as they come out of the device and into his ears. _At least he can still remember Hawking's lecture._

"Oh, we would love to, Leonard! I think Sheldon has been missing some company… Some _guy_ company." Amy started, "He's been listening to this Hawking lecture he got from Wolowitz in 2007. I don't know with you, but he's like having his own private viewing of a Hawking lecture in his mind."

"You know, he's always been Sheldon, no matter what. Thanks, Amy. I'll tell Penny once she got home." Leonard replied.

"Ooh… How about you stay overnight? And bring the others, too! It'll be fun if we were complete. Although only two of you can stay over at our place, on our couch, that's if you're willing to sleep on it." Amy answered.

"Oh, really? That'll be fine! I'll check on them, too. But Penny and I are sure to go."

"Great! By the way, Sheldon will have his last checkup with his neurologist tomorrow. It won't be until 10 in the morning. And we're planning on having lunch outside. Maybe you can go a little early and probably join us for breakfast or maybe you can join for lunch, instead." Amy said as she was separating the whites and the colored.

"Hmm… Well, you know Penny and her sleeping habits. We'll be there for lunch. Just text us the details, Amy." Leonard replied.

"Sure, sure. We'll see you, guys. Bye!" Amy ended the call as she was transferring their clothes to the dryer.

It was a Friday night, albeit not the official 'Laundry Night', Amy was able to convince Sheldon to do their laundry today. The good thing was they've already done it that Friday night which meant that they have a weekend filled with getting together and catching up.

The laundry scene that day was more of an 'I' situation than an 'us'. Although Sheldon helped in separating whites and colored and folding them heedfully, he had the speed comparable to a sloth. Amy can finish 5 in under a minute yet he can get up to 1 1/2 clothes per minute. It was maybe because he was engrossed in his _faux_ conversation with Hawking.

There wasn't a problem at all. Amy didn't request him to fold clothes for her, she just spotted him sat in their couch, with earphones on, and helping her after one bathroom break. She absolved him by saying that she's fine with him watching TV instead of helping her. The statement didn't seem to reach Sheldon's zone that she just disregarded letting him off; she didn't want to disturb his contentment, anyway.

It was an exhausting day for both of them. Being Sheldon's last visit to his physician tomorrow, Dr. Hayes requested one last brain scan to really see Sheldon's development. In return, Sheldon asked for sedatives for when he's having the MRI. He specifically requested Dr. Hayes to prescribe him the appropriate sedative for his condition the night before. Not sufficient enough to put him into a deep sleep but just the right amount to calm his nerves and make him a little loopy. Amy didn't contradict his decision; she doesn't want to drive a jittery and taut Sheldon to the hospital.

The procedure went smoothly, except for the fact that Sheldon had been drugged and got a little bit handsy before the scan. They were in the waiting room when Sheldon was instructed to take his oral sedatives 15 minutes before the procedure. 10 minutes of those were dedicated to sniffing Amy's neck and doing, what one might say, indecorous things to her.

"Mmm… you smell so good." Sheldon leaned his head to Amy's neck and whispered. He started inhaling her essence which sent electric waves through her extremities.

"Hey! Behave yourself" Amy reprimanded, painfully moving her body away from his touch.

"I could just eat you up… Yummy yum." Sheldon groaned. His hands now snaking their way to her waist, fiddling with the buttons of her cardigan.

Amy flick her fingers on his arm, trying to escape from Sheldon's drug-induced assault on her neck and waist. "No one's eating someone today! You keep your hands to yourself; we're in public."

That didn't stop Sheldon from assaulting her neck, albeit toned down. He was still in his hypnagogic state while sniffing and whispering to Amy's neck. Similar to what Amy endured before the 30-minute procedure, this time, Sheldon has been chatty the whole 15-minute recovery, 3-minute walk to the parking lot, 5-minute drive to their apartment complex, and another 2-minute walk to their apartment.

" _I love strawberry Quik… and Yoohoo… with ice… crushed ice… and a straw… maybe with a tiny umbrella…"_

" _My mommy used to bake me pecan pie …"_

" _Do you know that Leonard's still blasting Black Eyed Peas on the way to work…"_

" _Missy has been hooking up with his ex, again…"_

" _Georgie still got his mullet… pfft, ancient…"_

" _Howard got the snip snip…"_

" _Raj's with him during the snip snip…"_

" _I love it when Amy's naked before me…. I love it too when I'm naked before her… That woman is delectable… grrrr…"_

The last remark made Amy blush red and made her ears hot as heck. For the most part, he said it in the elevator with no one, except the 2 of them, in it. He even purred and even licked his way to her earlobe, making Amy unduly hot and bothered.

The man seated beside her, doing the most mundane thing, was unlike who he was hours ago. He was serene and unassertive when he woke up from his afternoon nap. The sedatives coursing through his bloodstream slowly made its way out. He was focused and riveted with what's entering his senses, especially that Hawking lecture.

"Sheldon…" Amy called softly. Beside him was another mountain of clothing waiting to be tended. She moved to his side, slowly transferring the mound of clothes to the opposite couch.

She removed one of his earphones and said, "Sheldon..."

Sheldon gazed up and her sudden intrusion. "Yes, Amy?"

"Our friends are coming tomorrow to visit," Amy said.

Sheldon's once intoxicated face glimmered with euphoria and excitement. His eyes gleamed brightly with the mention of their friends.

"Really?" Sheldon asked in pure joy and anticipation.

"Yup! I just got off the phone with Leonard. They're staying over the weekend." Amy replied.

Sheldon drew his head down, still beaming a huge one, "Oh, goody! I can't wait for them to go here! We can do an all-nighter on Saturday. Maybe a movie marathon or just play games!"

"Hey! No all-nighter. You and I will turn in early, while they can do whatever they want." Amy asserted.

"But Amy…" Sheldon moaned about Amy's rules, pouting his lips in effect.

"No buts. I'll give you until 9:30 tomorrow evening." Amy said.

"How about 10?" Sheldon asked.

Amy thought for a while. It'd be selfish for her to withheld Sheldon from the company of their friends, let alone from their game nights.

"Umm… deal. But you have to be on your PJs by 8 and when the clock strikes 10, I'm gonna drag you to bed." Amy answered.

Sheldon leaped from his seat and reached for Amy's arm. He pulled her flushed to his own body. He hugged her tight and clutched her head into his hand. _Oooh, you smell so good, Amy._ He drew his head to his lips and dropped a kiss on her forehead, lingering for a while before returning her to their initial position.

"Oh! You're an angel, Amy! I love you so much." Sheldon said in her ear, still drowning himself to her scent.

"You do?" Amy asked. Her arms now embracing him back after the initial shock.

"Of course, I do! Who wouldn't?" Sheldon whispered to her while swaying their bodies along with the unheard music.

"You never said that after the incident…" Amy said as she burrowed her head on his chest, fighting off the impending tears.

"I sure did! At the hospital. When I woke up." Sheldon said, trying to recall the conversation wherein he said 'I love you'.

"No, this was the first time," Amy said as she pulled her head away from Sheldon, "Although, you said _I love it when Amy's naked before me'_ a while back when we were heading home from the hospital."

Sheldon turned red and said defensibly, "I don't remember ever saying that to you!"

Amy had a smug look on her face, "Of course, you did! You were relentlessly sucking my neck when you were drugged."

"No, I didn't!" Sheldon said, fazed from all his scandalous ventures.

"Oh, you sure did, honey…"

* * *

"Aww… Leonard, look at them!" Penny cooed next to Leonard. Behind the glass wall of the restaurant, she witnessed Sheldon clutched Amy's hand right when she looked outside.

"That's good. They're now comfortable with each other even after what happened."

Clearly, Amy wasn't expecting that kind of gesture from Sheldon. Her face was flustered as soon as she felt the warmth from Sheldon's hand. It wasn't usual for Sheldon to initiate such action since after what happened. She threw him bemused gaze, seeking his eyes. In return, Sheldon delivered her a timid smile, enough to penetrate her whole body.

"Oh, God! That look seemed like they just had sex for the first time and they were up for another one!" Howard said suggestively which gained a smirk from Bernadette

"Hell, yeah!" Bernadette exclaimed.

"The way they look at each other, it speaks of love and yearning," Raj said dreamily. He positioned his chin on the palm of his hands, gazing lovingly at the couple.

Sheldon and Amy entered the glass door and spotted their table, still holding hands. As the couple approached their table, they were greeted by a chorus of 'hellos' and a surge of physical contact coming from their friends.

"Hi, guys. We missed you." Amy greeted through the hugs.

"Hello…" Sheldon timidly said, stiffening up every time a hug and a kiss were administered.

"Ahh… let's skip the catching up. Let's order first, shall we?" Penny said after giving Amy a hug and Sheldon a kiss on his cheek.

The group settled down and decide to go for the buffet, instead. Luckily, the food being served from the restaurant wasn't unconventional for the group. Since having Sheldon's mom pretty much visit them every year, serving food from the South was frequent during Mary's visit.

Before them were rows of food ready to be partaken by the group. Pan-fried chicken, chicken fried steak, smoked beef brisket, and a variety of sausages were among the main dishes. Alongside with cornbread, grits, pickles, buttermilk biscuit, collard greens, cabbage slaws, and mashed potatoes were the side dishes. Finished with desserts such as banana pudding, pecan pie, and peach cobbler to name a few.

Without any doubt, Sheldon feasted on the pan-fried chicken and the peach cobbler. Amy even insisted him to take at least one more serving of any sides, perhaps mashed potatoes or coleslaw to cut through the fat and the sweetness, but her insistence failed to persuade the true-blooded Texan.

As the feast subsided, a lot of questions were thrown at Amy and Sheldon.

"How's it going for the newlyweds?" Bernadette asked enthusiastically.

"Any bedroom antics that you've been exploring?" Howard followed up. His eyebrows raised up and down in a suggestive manner.

Amy nearly choked on her coleslaw that caused her to cough roughly. Sheldon, on the other hand, gave a contentious stare at Howard while rapping Amy's back lightly trying to ease her. When the commotion subsided, all eyes were on the couple, waiting for them to answer the question.

"What? That's awfully personal! I won't tell you." Amy explained, patting her lips with the napkin.

"I bet there's a lot of choking," Howard suggested.

Sheldon eyed him furiously and exclaimed, "That's it! Gentleman, your question will be rather left unanswered. Next!"

"Geez," Howard whispered.

Penny diverted the topic, "Alright, any updates on Sheldon's brain injury?" she asked, eyeing Sheldon and Amy.

Amy put down her fork and said, "Ow about that… little to none swelling on his brain, nothing serious. About 1 more week of his medicine and he's done. I hope he recovers well." She caressed Sheldon's back as if trying to calm him down.

"I hope so too…" Sheldon replied. He flashed a smile towards Penny and the others. Turning into a different man he was 30 seconds ago.

* * *

"Look at them! They've never been this enthusiastic in, like, a month." Bernadette said.

"Yup! It only comes out with Sheldon Cooper." Penny affirmed.

"You know what, Sheldon has never been this giddy in the past week," Amy revealed.

" _I'm gonna flank on the right. Keep them occupied!"_

" _I've got you covered, Howard."_

" _They're gathered on the far-side wall. Stay alert, Leonard."_

" _Keep it coming with the heals, Raj!"_

Bowls of chips and can of sodas were scattered on top of the coffee table making it unnoticeable. The decorative pillows were piled up on one side. Gathered on the couch, were the boys playing Overwatch on the Xbox One. As Sheldon once said to Leonard, "You are a good-natured friend, Leonard," praising him for his vigor to keep a friend well entertained. Leonard had the initiative to bring Sheldon's Xbox One console to Sheldon's temporary home to keep him occupied.

"How about the kids, Bernie?" Amy asked as she checked Sheldon.

Bernie swatted her hand and said, "Oh, they will be fine. Stuart and Denise are in charge. Denise is pretty good with kids, you know."

"I hope Stuart doesn't pass out while babysitting. I remember when he fainted after being with the kids for only 2 hours!" Penny interjected.

"Good thing, Raj checked on him when I texted him to."

"How about you, Penny?" Amy said, sipping from her wine glass

"Oh, you know, Ames, still living the same," Penny assured.

"Really, bestie?"

"Penny has a new client." Bernie nudged Penny, "and he's hoooot, right, Penny?"

"Ooooh, tell me about it," Amy said excitedly.

The female pheromones were disseminating around the dining table after weeks and weeks of sequestered friendship. It's like there was no separation at all; the girls were still able to find their rhythm after all.

"Pfff… everything's professional but… yeah, he's hot stuff." Penny blurted out.

The girls let out a giggle that was left neglected by the boys.

"Seriously, he's good-looking, but, Leonard's way hotter," Penny assured, giving Leonard a look.

"Of course he is! He's your husband."

The girls refilled their glasses once again. Bernie stood up and grabbed some more tortilla chips, while Penny got another serving of salsa and guacamole.

"No guac for you, Ames. Sorry," Bernie said apologetically.

"It's okay. I'd rather not have an anaphylactic shock on the day of your visit."

"Thanks for bringing that Lego set, Penny. Sheldon will be thrilled." Amy thanked.

"What's in it by the way? It's gift-wrapped and inside this huge Lego bag."

"That, I do not know. It was what Sheldon was picking up when he was attacked." Amy explained

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe it was really that important to him."

"Maybe… Anyway, that will keep him busy for the next few weeks." Amy said.

"You're really staying that long?" Bernie asked.

"Yeah, Sheldon really needs this time to heal. Maybe at the end of June, we'll return. I've refunded at least half of the New York trip and that's enough to sustain us here."

"How about your job?" Penny asked.

"Seibert was kind enough to give Sheldon the whole month to recover. I, on the other hand, will work from home that's why I asked you to bring my laptop."

"How about that super asymmetry that you were yammering about at your wedding?" Bernie whispered

Amy sighed and massaged her forehead with her fingers, "That's the thing; he still doesn't know about that. I don't want to overwork his brain by introducing that. 'Hey, Sheldon. we have this super asymmetry paper that we're supposed to work on and we need to do it now.' I just want Sheldon to relax and not worry about anything. Probably once we got back to Pasadena, I'll break it to him."

* * *

Four empty bottles of red wine and three hours went by, the group was ready to leave. After hearing about Sheldon's curfew, the group decided to leave them alone at 10 in the evening.

The boys started with cleaning up the empty cans and plastic wrappers at 9:30 during their 5-minute bathroom break, eventually finishing the game at 9:57. The girls started clearing the wine bottles and bowls on the dining table, washing the dishes meticulously despite Penny having four glasses and Amy three. Bernadette decided to just have a glass and a half of wine two hours ago and be the designated 5-minute driver to their hotel.

Amy turned in early at 9:40 after tidying the kitchen. She had a quick shower, went on to brush her teeth, and was out on their bed at 9:55. Sheldon was left to fend for himself and assist their friends in departing.

"Bye, Sheldon! We'll just stay at the hotel! Tell Amy, let's have brunch tomorrow!" Penny slurred as she hugged Sheldon and brushed a sloppy kiss on his cheeks. Bernie did the same on the other side but a much more sober one.

"Sorry about that, buddy." Leonard apologized, patting Sheldon on the shoulder.

Sheldon let out a breath and wiped both of his cheeks with the sleeves of his robe. "Alright, I'll tell her. Although I hate the notion of coalescing the most important meal of the day to the most tedious one, Amy might be a little hungover tomorrow. So see you at 9! Bye," He said as he escorted them out and shut the door.

He turned to their home; the room was a mess. Well, maybe not for the others, but for him it was. He approached the stack of pillows and arranged them on the couch according to size. Next, he fastened the wires of his console and controller and put it underneath the television. Lastly, he meticulously lined up the coffee table centerpiece that was once unkempt.

Sheldon moved towards their room. Opening the door, he was greeted by Amy sleeping on her stomach. He sauntered to the bathroom brushed his teeth and washed his face. No need to take a bath since he'd done that 2 hours ago.

He got out of the bathroom in a haste and freed himself from the constraints of his robe. Clad in his white shirt and green plaid pants. _10:03._ He approached the bed and noticed Amy once more. _You'll hurt you back, Amy!_ Sheldon though as he observed her. She didn't even have the strength to go under the covers. Her hands were just above her head. Her legs slightly splayed. Her thigh-length nightshirt hoisted up to her buttock, making a scene for her underwear.

Sheldon laid beside her, mustering his strength to pull out their comforter tucked underneath her. Once properly held, pulled it rapidly and tucked Amy underneath it. He grabbed ahold of her shirt and pulled it down, situating his hand on her hips. He kissed Amy goodnight on the lips and muttered, "Sweet dreams, Amy. I love you."

_10:07_


	13. Chapter 13

That morning, He woke up lying dead center on the bed. Oddly enough, he was settled on his back; what he felt on his head didn't register as excruciating, more like pressure, not painful at all. That's when he noticed something was weighing down his chest and right leg. _Amy…_ Her hair — smelled like peaches — splayed on his shoulder and chest. Her face nuzzled on the crook of his neck; he can feel the warm, relaxed breath coming from her. Her arm clutching his waist tightly. Her leg made its way to his thigh, anchoring it to their bed.

He looked at their bedside clock. _6:47, 43 minutes ahead of his alarm._ Dropping a kiss on the crown of her head, he caressed her back before formulating a scheme. He inspected her state of consciousness. _Surely, Amy doesn't mind removing her from my chest._ He considered an infallible strategy that will undoubtedly free him from Amy's affectionate embrace. He gingerly moved her leg first, lifting it with his other leg and his free hand. Followed by lifting her arm and dropping it to her side. And eventually, he simultaneously slid off his shoulders and pushed off Amy's head carefully.

He finally freed himself from hers. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gazed back at Amy's. She is a quintessential woman — powerful and intelligent with a hint of vulnerability and tenderness. Always seeking what's best for herself and for others. His quintessential woman now sleeping on her side. One leg over the other; hands curved into each other as if she was hugging someone. Her mouth slightly ajar as her hair cascaded on her pillow. He drew near her, combing her hair with his adept fingers. He went nearer and dropped a kiss on her forehead and lips.

* * *

After having a rather lengthy hot shower, Sheldon went over to their closet and dressed up for the day. He dried his hair and combed it thoroughly in front of the mirror. Now, he's ready for the day, meanwhile, Amy barely started one.

_7:10_

He walked through the hall towards the kitchen, humming the Mario Bros. theme song hoping for a fruitful breakfast. He's not some beatnik who would indulge in a mid-morning grub; he'd rather give that to Penny who initiated all of the summons. Of course, he'd have breakfast despite the fact that Amy will surely have brunch with them while he's watching their feast — full and satisfied from a breakfast that conforms all rules.

He reached over the cupboard and maneuvered his way to the cereal box. Unlike the plethora of cereals he had at home, Amy opted to buy Honey Nut Cheerios and Raisin Bran – not the best, but it could have been worst. He reached for one, not even minding what it was, and poured over his bowl. Once he thrust the box back to the cupboard, he sauntered his way to the refrigerator. He retrieved the gallon of milk and deliberately splashed it on his bowl. Settling for the dining chair, he reached for the journals and science magazines laying on the table, courtesy of Leonard and Penny.

He noticed a pattern from the aforementioned journals and almost all of them were Amy's neuroscience magazine. No physics at all.

_That'll work. It is 'science' after all._

He browsed her journals individually, opening his mind about the wonders of neuroscience. Articles spanning from racial differences in Alzheimer's, to which blood type protects you from cognitive decline, and probably to the most ridiculous study: how indulgent food can paradoxically promote disciplined eating habits. _Who would pair junk food to a healthy one just to have a healthy eating habit? Probably the simpletons._

But one Russian study caught his attention. The headline read: _Childhood Stress Affects Behavior of Offspring: Mouse Study._ Without a doubt, after initially reading the title, it was a study conducted on mice, focused solely on mice. No harm at all. _As far as I know, Amy and I are undoubtedly homo sapiens. If not, homo novus._ And the study induces stress by separating the young from their mothers. _Amy and I weren't separated from both parents. In fact, we were the ones who refused the extent of their company._

But what bothered him the most was the emphasis on childhood stress. What the study put forward was only one factor under childhood stress which was separation from parents. Clearly, there are other childhood stressors: Being different from your age, bullied for being _different_ , neglected by both parents and/or peers for being _different_ , alone for being _different_.

What if their children will be eccentric and weird like Mommy and Daddy? What if they will be bullied by some kid who thinks nerds are not worth the attention? What if they are bullied for having weird Mommy and Daddy. What if he can't handle being a father of a different one. His thoughts brought him to a conversation they had at Dr. Hayes' office.

" _So… Sheldon… Amy, any more questions?" Dr. Hayes asked, looking back and forth at the couple._

" _Umm… Dr. Hayes, are there any more restrictions in terms of what I can and can't do?" Sheldon questioned._

" _Well, you've told me that you have already taken him walking every day, right Amy?"_

" _Yes. A day after he was discharged. I took him at least 5 minutes every session to walk in our apartment complex." Amy explained._

" _Say… Sheldon, you don't feel any lightheadedness or fatigue from doing so? Dr. Hayes asked._

" _No… I only experienced shortness of breath during those walks, but it dwindled down as I walk every day."_

" _That's great! Amy said that there were no more confusions on your part, you can probably do anything as long as you don't rush everything. Do the dishes, set the table, you can also cook… but not anything that will strain your head injuries. Oh, and no driving…"_

" _I don't drive…" Sheldon interrupted._

" _Well, you won't worry about that. No alcohol, caffeine, or any other drugs that may interact with your medicine." Dr. Hayes instructed._

_Sheldon gazed at something while the faint conversation between Amy and Dr. Hayes glide by his ears, remembering a topic that he has been meaning to ask._

" _Are there any restrictions regarding conjugal relations?" Sheldon bluntly asked, keeping a straight face._

_Amy choked up on Sheldon's brazen query. Meanwhile, Dr. Hayes just kept a somber expression._

" _There are many other intimate ways that you can do without being fatigued or being out of breath." Dr. Hayes started._

" _How about sex? Intercourse?" Sheldon nonchalantly asked, his demeanor has still retained itself. Amy, on the other hand, was slowly being swallowed by embarrassment. She never expected Sheldon would ask about that. She assumed that Sheldon will soon find his drive after his predicament. She never thought his eagerness came a little bit early than expected._

" _As I said, Dr. Cooper, there are many intimate ways and sex is one of them." Dr. Hayes focused his attention on Sheldon, trying to explain as much that he can. "If you have the strength to do it, sure I would permit you. But I would suggest that you do not do any position that may affect you very badly. Just take it easy, Sheldon. Stop if you feel like you are in pain." Dr. Hayes ended his suggestion to Sheldon._

Sheldon went back to reality when his supposed alarm on his phone went off at 7:30. Journal in hand, he finished his disgusting soggy cereal in a flash, not minding how it disintegrates into his mouth quickly. He drank almost a glass of water and went on to wash them thoroughly, placing them to dry off.

He sauntered his way to their bedroom in hopes of waking up Amy and prepare for their impending brunch with friends. But upon entering the room, he was greeted by an enticing woman laying atop their sheets. Her arms positioned above her head as if she was held hostage by the wrist. Her legs snaked their way in their sheets covering her fair skin. Her nightshirt bunched up on her waist as if asking Sheldon to do something.

Sheldon set aside his shoes and made his way to Amy's side. He snuggled his way in by encircling his arms on Amy's waist and placing his head on her neck, breathing her scent in.

Sheldon tightened his hold on her body, thinking about how pleasant Amy was amidst the subdued scent of wine from her face. _Why do you always drown your problems with alcohol, Amy?_ He placed feather kisses on her jaw, coming from her neck and onto her ear. Alternating that, he breathed in puffs of Amy's scent, making his senses overwhelm. The sluggish maneuver brought him to lose consciousness and delve into a trance for a while.

* * *

_7:52_

He roused from his slumber 15 minutes in and observed his surrounding. It wasn't unusual; It was still morning from what he deduced the sunlight entering through the slits of their curtain. Amy was still asleep despite the 9 hours and still going, of dreaming she has been in to.

Sheldon decided to wake her up in one of the intimate ways a certain man, goes by Dr. Hayes, named off. Well, he didn't suggest to do the act, specifically; he just said there were myriad of choices a husband can do to wake up the wife.

He pushed up his body by the elbows, towering her horizontal body, and started to peck Amy's neck with his lips. While doing so, he deliberately bunched up her shirt and gently massaged her breasts with his fervent hands. He moved his body above Amy's, locking her in between his legs and arms. In spite of Sheldon's rather enthusiastic sojourn on her body, Amy seemed to take no notice of him; maybe a muffled groan from time to time but Amy was oblivious.

He persisted on her neck for a while, lapped both sides, and sucked below her collarbone leaving a mean red bruise that will surely go noticed before his tongue lingered on her left breast while his left hand stroked the other. Of course, Sheldon believed that one must be satisfied wholly, ergo the switch from left to the right breast. At that time, Amy's muffled voice now transformed into coherent moans which were music to Sheldon's ears.

"Mmmm…" Amy moaned; her eyes still tightly shut while her hands found its way to Sheldon's shoulder.

Sheldon ravished her thoughtfully; offering her the chances that they missed throughout his unfortunate constitution that lasted, and is still happening, for a month. He glided his hand on her waist, his mouth not leaving her breast, and slipped his slender fingers on the side of her grey panties. As expected, his actions completely roused Amy from her deep slumber.

"What is happening…" Amy groaned as she arched her back gracefully in such a way that Sheldon's mouth was pressed a little harder on her right breast. The action made her moans more prominent which made Sheldon's reaction more enthused.

Noticing Amy's consciousness, Sheldon rose up to look at her face. Fondness and lust flashed on her face as Sheldon witnessed her desire to go on.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm waking you up…" Sheldon muttered on her ear with his deep voice, answering Amy's prior question. He gave her ear a quick lick, which made Amy shiver, before lowering his head once more to continue sucking and nibbling on her nipples. Wanting to go further, Sheldon slipped his hand inside of her panties, feeling her wetness in a circular motion.

Out of habit, Amy ran her fingers on Sheldon's hair before landing on the spot where a portion of his hair was unusually shorter than the top of his head and where his skin bizarrely felt tender than the other. Realizing in the midst of his unchaste exploration, she abruptly moved her hands down to his shoulder and tighten her hold of it as Sheldon's kisses went further down.

Her panties slid further down her knees and to her feet as was Sheldon's mouth completely gliding down her abdomen to the apex. Licking his way down, he gently bent her knees and splayed them to the side. Before him was a sight he was quite familiar of from the days of their once a year contract. Maybe Amy forgot about it but what Sheldon's attempting was out of his expertise. Not that he cannot satisfy, but what's he was about to do was the first.

Using his hands on her knees as leverage, he dove in animatedly with his warm tongue. He started with long, languid strokes, making sure the entire surface area got all possible attention it needed. Once Amy bucked her hips every 2 seconds and groaned his name loudly, he removed his right hand on her knee and inserted two fingers inside of her. He felt her tighten her muscles as he thrust his finger deeper and his mouth solely concentrated on her clitoris.

As the intensity of Sheldon's movement rose higher and higher, Amy's resounding moans and mentions of his name got louder by the second. Knowing that Sheldon's injury was still bringing him discomfort, she moved her hands to their comforter and tightened her hold on it as if her life depended on it. She writhed in pleasure as her breathing grew more erratic.

"Hmm…yes."

She jerked her hips one last time as she reached her acclaimed climax. She cried his named uncontrollably as her muscles below contracted within Sheldon's fingers As her high subsided, she groaned.

"Sheldon…"

Sheldon lingered below her furthermore. He knew she came strongly by noticing her contractions and her escalated wails; he felt it within his fingers and his tongue as she sheathed him. He felt a soft touch on his head, trying to push him away from all things that were making him unrivaled. At first, he was riddled by the sudden break, but shuffling through his memory, he remembered reading somewhere that women are sensitive every after orgasm.

Realizing what Amy was implying, he carefully separated his mouth on her and ascended toward her. He left a trail of saliva and her own juices on her abdomen, to her breasts–giving her a good suck while noticing her rather rapid heartbeat–and to her neck.

He whispered lustfully, "Was it up to your standards?"

"I'd be dead if it was more than that," Amy answered breathlessly; her whole body limped from Sheldon consuming her ruthlessly.

"You're too young to die, _honey_." Sheldon kissed her lips eagerly as his hand passed on her morning hair. Oddly, Amy tasted herself on his mouth as his tongue sought entrance.

"Good morning, _Amy_ …" Sheldon greeted hoarsely above her. His mouth just inches away from hers.

Amy sighed contently and said, "Are we going to do this every day, huh?" She ran her palms on his shoulders and on the base of his neck, feeling her way to him.

"Well, I cannot do every day, but it might be frequent…" Sheldon answered suggestively while running his hand on her waist.

"That's works for me…" she said as she pecked his lips and pushed him by the shoulder and onto his knees. Amy stretched her arms up and rolled out to the side of the bed.

Amy looked back at her shoulder where Sheldon was situated. "You're unusually dressed this time of the day."

Sheldon looked at his shirt, "Oh, we are going out to have brunch with them all," he answered before grumbling. "In my defense, I contested Leonard about the notion of brunch but it was Penny who told him to ask us. I have no say about Penny; she's scary at times.

"That's what we are nowadays," Amy condescendingly said behind her back as she stood up to go for the bathroom.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're 10 minutes late," Leonard eyed Sheldon and Amy as they took the empty seats in front of them.

Indeed, they were. Despite Amy being woken up at 8 o'clock, they were rather occupied for 33 minutes hence the 27-minute timeframe left for Amy and Sheldon to freshen up.

He'd calculated it before. The time of both of their respective bathroom schedules. It takes Amy 27 minutes plus or minus 5 minutes to shower, dress, and tend to whatever women tend to in a smooth weekday. When things go awry and their alarm clock malfunctions–no, it doesn't; they were just inclined to press the snooze button until one of them caves in — it takes her to do all of it in just under 20, which was a relief.

But that certain morning, Amy seemed to overlook their earlier conversation about the brunch date. All the hormones coursing through her veins, impeding her ability to retain certain memories. 23 minutes into her shower, 8:56, Sheldon rapped on the door and chided her for taking too long. She was finished by 9:03. The walk to the car was 2 minutes. And the ride to the diner was 5, therefore being 10 minutes behind the scheduled time.

"10 minutes is no big deal," Sheldon answered nonchalantly as he unfolded his napkin. Amy raised her eyebrow to Sheldon's astonishing reply.

"Woah, Mr. 10-minutes-late, when was 10 minutes, not a big deal? You condemned us when were 5 minutes late! Heck, you don't even want to be late even for just a minute!" Howard sneered at Sheldon's double-take.

"It's true, Sheldon. Remember? You apologized to me when you were 4 minutes late into our Halloween party! In fact, no one was there yet!" Penny concurred with Howard's accusations, pointing a finger on Sheldon.

Sheldon stopped to consider their assertion before answering, "It was Amy's fault…" He blurted suddenly and pointed a finger at Amy.

"Woah, woah, woah… Excuse me, buddy, but how was it my fault?" Amy insinuated sharply. Her eyes burning through him, annoyance and irritation etched on her face.

"You were chugging wine bottles last night hence the hangover! You woke up late and hogged the shower for hours! Now, that was your fault!"

Amy breathed furiously, "It was 3 glasses! And you didn't care to wake me up, did you?"

He considered his stare at her before his eyebrows shot up and his face turned alarming levels of crimson. He must have realized that, indeed, he woke her up vigorously and spent a good 30 minutes on the bed before either of them decided to get ready for their brunch.

She cocked her head to the side; her eyes squinted as she glanced at his flustered face. Luckily, Sheldon was a quick-thinker and averted his gaze at the menu on hand. The intensity of Amy's glares was scalding his ego; making him return to his skin. Amy nodded and grinned coyly at Sheldon's submission. _Point Fowler, 1-0._

"Just take it easy, guys, we don't mind if you were late," Raj said suddenly, breaking the bubble of the Fowler-Cooper.

"Yeah. Why don't you order now? Our treat," Leonard smiled reassuringly at his two friends.

"Oh, gosh! Thanks, I'm already starving," Amy said, reaching for the menu. Her demeanor shifted in mere seconds as she thought of being able to eat, for free! Her eyes brightened up to the variety of breakfast meals the diner has to offer. But, she's not yet done with him.

"I don't wanna eat."

Contrarily, Sheldon was sulking beside her and murmuring about how displeased he was about Amy's delight. Frowning about how it was all her doing, that she seduced him into partaking into such an indisposed act involving his mouth and her genitals. All his moping was brought out by his hurting ego. But he did not want to concede that it was truly his fault. After all, he was Sheldon.

* * *

The brunch was enjoyable and pleasant for the group. Well, maybe not that much for Sheldon. He just sat there, nursing a chocolate milkshake and a quarter of a club sandwich as the conversation went on. It wasn't the ideal 'meal' for brunch but, he wasn't going to engage in that. He'd rather devour food that is considered as a snack and not as breakfast, particularly at this hour.

As they strut their way out of the diner and into the parking lot, Bernie and Penny stopped at their tracks, prompting Amy to do the same.

"Hey, Leonard wanted to discuss something," Penny whispered as her gaze focused on the 4 men exiting the glass door.

Intrigued was undeniably imprinted on her face. _It's unusual for Leonard to discuss something with me. And for the girls to whispered it while Sheldon's a feet ahead. Curiouser and curiouser._

"What could've it been?" Amy asked shifting her gaze to Penny and Bernie back and forth.

"We don't know, Ames. Penny just told me that your discussion with Leonard must be urgent," Bernie said, glancing at Penny making sure that she said was accurate.

"Go make an interruption. I'll stay with Leonard," Amy instructed as she devised a plan to discuss matters with Leonard.

Penny and Bernie dashed for the boys and tugged Sheldon's arm.

"Shelly, let's go for ice cream!" Penny said giddily and pointed at a Cold Stone Creamery adjacent to where they came from.

"Dessert before lunch? Oh, goody! Come on!" Sheldon exclaimed and grabbed Amy's hand. He felt a slight resistance and a cold whiff on his hands as Amy's hand slipped off his.

 _That was odd,_ he thought

"Come, Amy." Sheldon tugged at her hand once more.

"Oh, Sheldon. I'm tired and full. I'd better wait for you in the car," she said apologetically as she pivoted towards their car. On her periphery, she saw Penny, Bernadette, and Raj escorting Sheldon to the ice cream parlor, away from her sight.

* * *

"What's going on with Amy?" Sheldon asked worriedly as he looked back at Amy, Leonard, and Howard walking back their respective cars.

Amy never passed up on a chance to have ice cream, especially if the weather outside is sweltering–which is often, considering California–and if Sheldon invited her to. It was consistent to grab a pint of ice cream every time they have one of their grocery run on the weekends. Either vanilla almond or salted caramel, she'll get that right off the bat. No questions asked. Amy said it was the only indulgence she can afford without breaking the bank or leaving their apartment.

"Umm, you know, she's not feeling very well after eating a ton of crepes. Might be food coma." Penny shrugged at Sheldon's doubt. _Still odd_.

"A coma?! I'll return back to her..." Sheldon turned around and was about to set off for their car when Penny yanked his arm. She was there, trying to stop him interrupt Amy and Leonard's discussion.

"No, no, no, no," Penny and Bernadette blurted in unison. "Amy's fine. _Food_ coma. You don't have to go. Just let her rest for a while."

"But…"

"No buts! Come on now," Bernie said firmly. Sheldon yielded and followed them to the door.

On the background was Raj's optimistic screech as he was behind their trail. His declaration for the frozen treat went overboard when customers shot him a look worthy of his demise.

* * *

"Here. I got you this." Sheldon raised a container inside a paper bag. "Founder's choice. Sorry, there was no pre-packed vanilla almond or salted caramel so I opted for this one; It has caramel, nonetheless," he smiled timidly and gave Amy a quick glance.

Amy just stared at him as he offered the aforementioned treat.

He set the bag on the concave in the dashboard in front of him. Reaching for the seatbelt, he locked it in place while Amy reversed through the parking lot. During their drive, she was quiet. In fact, they both were.

Sheldon sensed that there was something specious about Amy. He thought she might be infuriated by his prior actions, especially when he blamed her for being late. That was his initial conclusion: Amy's angry, and she doesn't want to talk to me.

But what he witnessed on the drive home was nothing he expected. She looked disoriented. Her eyes–you can see crimson in there. As if tears just made its unwelcomed visit on her emerald eyes. Sure, no one angry would exhibit this kind of trouble. This wasn't angry. Not Amy, for sure.

Alongside not being herself, there was a hint of uncertainty coming off of her. She looked agitated as her fingers tapped methodically on the steering wheel. Her lips almost bled as she was constantly nibbling on it to ease the madness that was presented to her.

Observing her faithfully, he did not notice this kind of behavior when they were having brunch. He didn't even notice it when he invited her for ice cream. _Was it my fault? Did I somehow do an action that aggravated her? Maybe I shouldn't have said yes to their ice cream invitation. Perhaps, I could deduce what's bothering her before we get home._

As the vehicle came to a full stop, the engine was turned off and the door was unlocked. But the amount of drive time was not enough to appease his apprehensions.


	15. Chapter 15

The noise emitted from closing the car door startled her stupor. Before her was an equally bespectacled man, with equally short stature. Dark hair, deep brown eyes, black-rimmed glasses, he cozied himself on the passenger seat of the car.

Her hands never left its tight grip on her steering wheel. Her eyes looked the farthest outside, and her mind racing and anticipating what he was about to say.

"Amy," Leonard started as he sought Amy's eyes. She turned her head and gave Leonard what he's been seeking for.

"What is it, Leonard?" Amy whispered, her throat drying up from anticipation.

Leonard sighed and closed his eyes to gain momentum, "The reason why I insisted on visiting was because of, umm, the both of you—you and Sheldon…"

Amy's breath got hitched. Her lips dry from anxiety. The anticipation was making her heart race and her head throb. It wasn't usual to have this kind of conversation with Leonard.

"Just spill it, Leonard…" Amy said with a hint of irritation. Not with Leonard but with the level of apprehension slowly succumbing her person.

Leonard readied himself. "I mentioned that I recently finished this paper, right…" he started. "and upon looking up my sources and double-checking them, I came across this study in the 70s."

"It was something about supper asymmetry. There it was stated that super asymmetry is 'inherently flawed and does not bear the weight of further examination'."

"No, no, no…" she thought.

As those words came out of Leonard's mouth, Amy's career flashed before her. In fact, both of her and Sheldon's flashed before her.

This was their breakthrough. This is their breakthrough. And to think that someone before their time told them that it wasn't supposed to be that way. That it was beyond the bounds of what is possible. Her gut wrenched as her heart shattered.

"Is that so…" She managed to reply calmly but the hurt was evident in her tone. She lowered her head. "W-was it credible, Leonard?" Asking once more as if everything was misheard and there's a glimmer of hope for their study.

"W-well," he stuttered, "it was by a Russian physicist, Ames. It detailed how the very concept of super asymmetry was illogical and nonexistent."

"I'm sorry, Amy…" Leonard continued apologetically. It was meant to be this way. They'll find out soon once they started their research. I'm just giving them a head start on what's coming.

"Who else knew about it?" Amy asked warily. Maybe Leonard spilled their idea to the whole of Caltech. Although that thought dissipated, Leonard would never double-cross them; that's for sure.

"Just me, Raj, and Howard… no one else; not even the girls." Leonard reassured her doubts. "Raj was with me when I stumbled upon the paper, meanwhile Howard translated it for us."

Amy sighed. This was it. Everything goes downhill from here on.

She swiped a tear from her cheek which didn't leave unnoticed by Leonard. The gentleman put a hand on her back and gently rubbed it, trying to ease the emotion from his recent revelation.

"It wasn't supposed to be that way, Leonard." She said, containing her tears. She was doubtful about it. Maybe it wasn't true. Maybe Leonard was just pulling a prank.

"I'm so sorry, Amy. At least, Sheldon doesn't have to know."

"He has to, Leonard… This is his life work! Even though he barely remembers it… This was his" Amy exclaimed as she dipped her head on the steering wheel.

"I hope it wasn't true, Amy… I really do." Leonard replied.

Silence engulfed the vehicle. Indeed, Leonard was genuine. It didn't sound like a prank at all. He is telling the truth.

From afar, the slender physicist exited the ice cream shop alongside his two blonde friends and his Indian one. Satisfaction ingrained on their faces. Maybe from the cold treat, maybe from the shared time. It wasn't until entering the vehicle that his contentment was slowly overshadowed by anxiety.

Opposite to what was happening in the car. The tension was rising to critical levels. Leonard has no intention of inflicting pain, let alone to his best friend and his best friend's wife. He just doesn't want to keep something from them.

Guilt will haunt him if one day they decided to continue this research and find out about its credibility, while he's watching from afar–knowing about its existence or rather non-existence in the first place.

He is not that kind of friend.

"Is something bothering you?" Sheldon asked as he shut the door of their apartment. Amy was ahead of him, gingerly removed her shoulder bag and shoes.

"Nothing…" She replied. Based on her body language, Sheldon noticed her unwillingness.

_Don't be fool by her display of exhaustion, Sheldon; it masked her lack of enthusiasm of conversing to anyone, even you._

"Was it something I did?" he asked worriedly.

Amy looked at him meekly, "No, it's not, Sheldon." she reassured him.

Exhaustion in her face as she went to the kitchen.

"If not, what else could it be, Amy?" Sheldon questioned annoyedly in front of her face.

Amy, on the other hand, was busying herself by retrieving a mug and went to onto make tea, not giving Sheldon what he was seeking: answers.

They had a dance in the kitchen so graceful that tension on both sides was choking them.

"Clearly, you don't want to talk about it," he frowned, all the while following Amy. He faced her back from the sink as his arms were rigidly folded on his chest.

A stalemate was the appropriate word to describe the current state dispute.

Sheldon constantly questioning and seeking what's bothering her because, clearly, it was bothering him, too. And Amy, the ever so forthright, now close-mouth on Sheldon's interrogation.

"Tell me, are cheating on me? Is this where we have a huge argument and it will lead to us separating and eventually divorce? Huh? Tell me!" Sheldon burst out, ultimately cornering Amy on the counter. His lips pursed. His eyes seeking. His voice quavering from outrage and resentment.

Amy was oblivious as she shrugged his outburst off. _I'm not afraid of you._

She had an intuition that Sheldon would burst at her during this stay. She really had. She wouldn't blame him, either.

He was disoriented, starved from the knowledge that he carefully protected and treasured. He was kept from doing his routines, always withheld from his equations and researches on the duration of this stay. Frankly, he was just like a little boy from Texas: back to the very beginning with little to no resources to feed his hunger for science.

That was a month in progress.

She squinted her eyes, chastising him, as she blasted him some questions, "Do you think I am the kind of person that would do that to you? Tell me, has anybody put up with this for so long?" She maneuvered her hand in front of his body as if it was ever so objectionable. She kept the same intensity, eyeing him up and down as if she was God sizing him up on his judgment day.

"My mom did," Sheldon answered with equal fervor. His forearm muscles tightening on his chest from a sudden burst of irritation.

"She was obliged to do it. She is your mother, in the first place. But I was the only one who did this and married you to an extent." Amy reasoned out, still keeping her authority.

Sheldon was hushed for a while. In truth, Amy put up with all his crap. Even Leonard tried to but when all is said and done, he left him by himself — beat up and lonesome — in the pursuit of his own happiness.

That brought him to Amy. The sole person responsible for his development: as a person and as a professional. Amy gave him an outlet to be better without being criticized, being laughed at for being unorthodox. Given that his wife's incessant encouragement made him who he was, was already a victory for him.

She was his cornerstone. He built and built his career without giving much effort on how to do it precisely. He didn't notice that his foundation was inadequate, both intellectually and emotionally, deteriorating from all its load. And as it crumbled, Amy was quick to move and bit by bit his life and career relatively went back to its own track. She was the key to his career. Amy salvaged his once corroding life by bringing in more foundation to his building, being the cornerstone in his never-ending construction. She kept him grounded for the duration of their relationship even though he considered himself as worthless for the most part.

And for him, assaulting her as such made him felt worthless once again.

"And now you're giving me the silent treatment. If you're ever so interested, as if you were, on what is bothering me, here's two words for you: super asymmetry…" she started frustratedly as she was not getting any response from Sheldon. "Now you don't know that, huh? Guess what Leonard found? It wasn't even a viable theory at all!" she answered hysterically as her arms flailed indicating her surrender. Surrendering to super asymmetry and to Sheldon's current behavior.

Amy noticed his blue eyes lose its focus on her face and shifted his soft gaze lower. Remarking how his facial cues changed, she kept her curious stare at him. His displeasure with Amy slowly dissipated. His once tense eyebrows and mouth gently transformed into a face comparable to having made a recent discovery.

And that hit him right in the hippocampus. All those visions of foreign equations during his sought-after afternoon naps were connected to super asymmetry. In fact, they were super asymmetry. All those writings in glass material, some sort of clear glass, maybe a mirror, in bold red, struck him. That was it! How can I not figure that out?! But what? Not viable? You mean it doesn't uphold what is deemed as scientifically unrefuted?

Amy noticed, once more, an unexpected transition. His face, roughly visited by confusion, like a toddler figuring out how to use the potty, and then he was stricken, similar to a wounded sparrow, crippled and unable to fly.

Reality hit him. His arms, once situated on his chest, fell on its side, not any sign of impending life. What transpired had let his head drop down in remorse and think about the pain he was feeling from the back of his head. His vision got blurry, tears built upon his eyes, and exquisitely made its way down.

The sudden change didn't leave unnoticed to Amy. They were fighting! They were supposed to be vexing at each other and have their first major argument as a married couple. Come to think of it, leading up to their marriage, they were conceptualizing this new theory that could potentially be revolutionizing the way we understand physics, and now that same topic of super asymmetry was making them contend each other.

She heard a whimper, followed by a sniffle, and more sniffling after that. Sheldon, barely standing up, head down, arms succumbing to gravity, and shoulders riding up and down to his display of emotions. Alongside with the sniffling, which eventually turned into cries, was the gasping in between breaths—a salient indication of hyperventilation and subsequent panic attack—that made Amy worried sick.

She immediately approached him and wrapped her arms on his shoulders and rested his head on hers. She felt a slight resistance but what she felt after that rattled her even more.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed as Sheldon slowly leaned on her and his full body weight was not his anymore.

* * *

"How did it go?" Penny finally asked the question she'd been dying to ask since entering the car.

Leonard sighed heavily, "I don't know, Penny. Amy was distraught when I told her my news," he said while keeping his eye on the road, coursing through the I-5.

"Will you tell me now what this is all about?" she asked one more time in hopes of getting a gist what has happened.

"I finished this research and came across a Russian paper in the late 70s. And it seems that super asymmetry has no credibility at all."

"The reason that got us waiting for forty-five minutes at their wedding? Wait… so it's not true at all?" she faced him, an unbelievable look etched on her face.

"By the looks of it, no…"

"Wow. That must be so hard for Amy," Penny exclaimed, amused by the fact that two brilliant, married scientist, with a connection so substantial as an umbilical cord, would get this wrong.

"I told her that Sheldon doesn't even have to know, but she insisted. I'm concerned about how he will react," Leonard worriedly said, giving Penny an eye.

"Let's just hope it turns out better. Well… if it doesn't let's just hope no one gets hurt," Penny replied as she glanced at the window, wishing that the people they left behind sort their things out.


	16. Chapter 16

"No! Don't get up yet!" Amy exclaimed as she gently pushed back down Sheldon by the chest. He was lying on their sofa with his feet above heart level propped by some throw pillows.

Sheldon cried and mumbled, "God, my head is pulsating." He glanced at her with his weary eyes before asking, "What happened?" as he shut his eyes and stroked his head with his hands, assuaging his lightheadedness.

"Don't move, okay? You passed out for about a minute or so while crying," she explained while rubbing a damp, cold rag on his arms, face, and even on his hair. She knew that her undertaking might not bring any healing capabilities, however, she learned in the past that doing so brings comfort to an agitated, hyperventilating Sheldon.

"Right, _super asymmetry_ …" he remembered. His low-spirited tone brought unwelcomed emotions for both of them.

It wasn't until those words came right out of his mouth that Amy's thoughts began to wander. The reaction… the tears… the hyperventilating… there was something, a missing link perhaps, that induced this kind of response.

"Oh God! You remember?!" Amy bellowed at his astonishing confession. Awaiting his response, she crudely dropped the cloth wherever it may land and gave all ears to Sheldon. _This is it!_

Sheldon looked up and sighed with reparation. "If it were that easy, Amy…" he started and scooted more on the sofa to give Amy room to sit. "I had this vision, more like a dream. There were no people…or just anything in it. And it wasn't that dynamic, either. Just me and a glass — perhaps a mirror because I can clearly see myself — and in that glass were writings in vivid red, numbers… floating around the glass… as I can see my face through it," he recollected with daze.

"Did you really know about it way before I told you?" she asked. Her quivering speech brimming with keenness

"At first, it was all unintelligible. There were mysterious swirls that stymied my view of it… making the writings impossible to comprehend. And then, when I've got a glimpse of it, everything just went blank for me; the equation seems illogical and as far as I know, does not tie into any physics principle acknowledge by man," Sheldon pointed out.

"Just that one? No other memories?" she questioned with expecting eyes. Maybe that wasn't the only thing that he remembered.

He sighed and cautiously pulled himself up by the sofa back, still unsteady from his unconsciousness. Still eager to sit, even though uneasiness masked his wife's face caused by his hankering, he situated himself on the sofa and settled his body within the cushions. Knowing that there were still questions left dangling in the air, he gazed at his wife and responded, "There were still memories that elude my being, Amy… It was never my intention to forget it nor dismiss the very existence of it… I promise. Science will tell if I ever secure those memories back or not. That vision of mine was a meager manifestation of the unknown. But after all those missed memories, recalling insufficient seconds of the super asymmetry placate my soul and I hope also yours."

"Of course, it does," Amy uttered tenderly. She lifted up her hand and caressed his slightly pink cheek. His weary eyes bothered her with its display of instability as it lazily blinked before her. With the exception of his convalescing scar, he looked like no other; just the ordinary (maybe not so ordinary, at all) Sheldon that she met ages ago.

"So, the crying was all about super asymmetry?"

"Yes, but—"

"But what?"

He sighed. "—I extremely despise admitting this, but after that crying bout, the entirety of my being looks to drive back to normal, not like before the incident me, but after that," he deeply unraveled his recent discovery he's been keeping. "Maybe if the incident wouldn't have happened, I will most likely react differently to this revelation. Presumably at this point after our wedding, we'd finished our paper and were on the final stretch of publishing it to the public; I would be so devastated that I would probably make a mess of our apartment due to my display of behavior."

"So you're saying that it's not as painful as to having an intellectual and emotional attachment to it?" Amy asked, curious as to what's going through Sheldon's mind.

There was a silence that intervened in their conversation. Clearly, Sheldon thought of it immensely as though the mechanical gears on his head worked to respond to such a profound question.

"Yes. But that doesn't imply that I don't experience a twinge in my heart. I still feel a slight sting pierce right through me," he stated levelly after having an introspection.

"Are you alright, now?" Amy asked tenderly about his ongoing crisis. She ran a hand through his damp hair, perceiving the paradox of his presence; his brisk, soaked locks confronted by the warmth of his scalp making it as though passing through a violent blizzard and then engulfed by the scorching heat.

"Emotionally… maybe; physically… no," he answered sincerely.

"Do you wanna change or maybe take a quick shower?" Amy proposed, gazing at the soaking, wet patch on his shirt just under his collar.

"Counterproposal: I'll take a shower and you join me, too," Sheldon counter proposed lightheartedly just as he lifted himself up and sat up with much more vigor.

"You know we can't do that right now," she admonished him with a faux authority before chuckling at the absurdity of their predicament. Ever since going home from the hospital, Sheldon had been so keen to share a bath with Amy. Maybe it was one of the pros of the incident, she thought

Sheldon and breathed a heavy sigh stood up despite his uncertain footing. He glanced back, offered his hand for her to take, and responded, "I know… I just want to share a hot shower with you. Please?"

"Alright," she surrendered.

* * *

"It's like I'm taking care of a baby," she giggled as Sheldon's head popped out of the collar; he looked quite disheveled yet he smelled absolutely clean. Dressed in an old, spare shirt Amy grabbed from a quick trip to Pasadena way before Sheldon was discharged, his arms and chest almost burst through the shirt he wore years ago. Still, in her bathrobe, she dressed Sheldon by herself (due to her insistence), as he begrudgingly slouched on the edge of their bed. That particular scene caught her eye. Don't you look quite a hottie, she thought, sizing him up in his already snug Justice League II shirt he wore during their first date.

"You know I'm not." He sulked and instinctively pouted his lips when he heard of the preposterous comparison.

"Yes, you are," she cooed like talking to a baby and chuckled internally, imagining Sheldon's reply was intended for what she just thought.

"Am not," he hissed while Amy moved away to retrieve the comb.

"Why not?" She returned with a comb in hand and lifted his head by the chin. He looked so better now, all spotless and delectable.

"I am a man of science, not someone's snuggle bunny. Definitely, not some whippersnapper full of ignorance who can't even write the quadratic formula," he defended as he folded his arms to his chest.

"I agree. Besides, no man will be delighted to hear that I got a tote bag emblazoned with a _Lego_ trademark in it. I'm sure that no man, absolutely not Sheldon Cooper, would rush for the bag and play with whatever Lego set is in it," Amy teased as she observed how Sheldon's reaction changed within seconds. His frowning face transformed into an animated one in a snap.

Just as her voice ringed 'Lego.' Sheldon's eyes glimmered in excitement. Considering that it was nearing noon and his vigor was slowly wearing off from waking up so early and opting not to eat a full meal at their brunch, all the energy that was about to escape, sucked back right in when the thought of having to play with some Legos never eluded him.

"Legos?! Can we open them now?" He eagerly asked. The image of Sheldon giddily bouncing up and down their bed as he sat made it impossible for Amy to hold back

"Hmm…"

"Amy, please!" He said dragging the syllables to show how he truly meant it.

"Of course you can! It's yours, right from the beginning." Amy lifted her hand and stroked him by the cheeks as she drowned herself into the pair of a sapphire blue abyss that is Sheldon Cooper's eyes.

"Thanks!" He was already on his feet by the time he pecked Amy's lips and dashed for the exit.

* * *

"Here, gimme gimme!" He bolted up from the couch as soon as he saw Amy sauntering out of their room with a red tote bag in hand.

"Open it! I haven't seen it as well," she gushed out just as Sheldon was about to pull out the box.

"Didn't you buy this?" Sheldon frowned at the confusion. His hand stuck inside the bag mid-air at the sudden realization.

"Actually, you bought that…"

"Me?" He exclaimed in shock as his eyes bulged out. It's puzzling how he forgot about this set despite the fact that he was the one who bought it.

"Yes, during our honeymoon at Legoland," Amy reassured.

"Really? Should I know the contents of this?"

"I guess... That was the only thing you were carrying during the attack."

"Oh…"

"Why don't you open it, Shelly. See what's inside," Amy insisted, trying to steer the conversation back to Lego and not wanting to leap back into any discussions in relation to his attack.

"Alright," he declared as plonked down the couch and pulled out a yellow box with a classic Lego brand inscribed in it. It was a typical looking box with nothing but the logo, and some precautions and the number of pieces.

"This is an unfamiliar set," he said as he turned over the box and examined its exterior. Out of curiosity, Amy joined too in inspecting, trying to figure out what's inside. She wasn't an expert on anything Lego, but she'd seen a few box sets owned by Sheldon and this one was unique looking.

He set down the bright, lemon yellow box above his lap, doing it with much caution. His deft fingers gracefully maneuvered the flaps of the box, ultimately, unfastening it to reveal its insides. Both of them were perturbed by the contents of it: dozens of plastic packets with assorted varieties of bricks per packet and two separate packages of what appeared to be mini-figures that trigger nostalgia for the both of them.

Beneath the packets, was an instructional guide with a pronounced writing in black, fancy letters which read— _Dr. Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler present: A Sojourn Through the Bygones._

Mirth was instilled in their timid smiles just as those words came out of Sheldon's mouth. As those writings sank in, the expression he makes when observing koalas eat unconsciously arose and adorned his face, making Amy delighted.

He set aside the box and left the booklet in his hands. As he flipped to the first page, he was welcomed by the conventional technical specifications about the product on what to do and whatnots, manufacturers and distributors, and descriptions that seemed foreign. Before long, he turned the next one, and in there was a letter addressed to Amy.

' _To Amy,_

_I am beholden by you. I will love you more than any man has loved you before. I will love you more than avocados love your allergies. I will still love you until my final breath. You are an exceptional, superior being beyond my own. I'll never be the same with you. I love you, Amy._

_Sheldon'_

Both of them fell silent as they read his heartfelt letter. Bit by bit, the distance between them vanished, and soon, her arm once linked to Sheldon was now around him. Brimming with emotions, Amy lunged at him, straddled his lap, which prompted Sheldon to lean against the throw pillows, and encircled her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. He put aside the guide booklet, heedfully doing so as to not make some creases, and extended his hands on the back of Amy, caressing it lovingly.

Not too long, he heard a wail rushing with emotions… and another one, until his shoulder was soaked wet with tears. His ministrations seemed not to be effective, when her sobs aggressively occupied the whole living room, making it impossible to hear anything beyond the cries. He was startled by the enormous outburst coming from Amy. It was different from any other cries he witnessed from the past, considering that seen quite a handful of incidents Amy being poignant.

"Amy, are you alright?" he consoled, trying his best to have Amy look at him. As he attempted to lift up her head snug to his neck, her hold on his shoulders just got more resolute.

"I hate you! I hate you… you…" Amy mumbled on his neck, giving his shoulder a weak, burdensome pound with her fist. The sudden declaration suctioned out nearly all of his oxygen, making him pale as parchment. Their love and deep admiration for each other is the most valuable asset they boast about their relationship, well, maybe quite equal with their unsurpassed genius. He was certain that Amy's about to separate from him, move out of their home, maybe find someone who would not do what he did to her. That mere vision of Amy leaving him made his heart race.

"W-Why?" he stuttered as his thoughts scuttled through his brain. The combination of Amy's weight crushing against him, his racing thoughts overwhelming him, and his apprehension about accidentally spilling the contents of his Lego set, crawled up to him and made him tear up. _No, Amy. Don't do this to me._

"You almost died! Don't do that to me again… I can't afford to see you in that state anymore. I hate you!" Amy bellowed on his neck and gave his shoulder another pound. As the words sank in, Sheldon was devastated with Amy's confession.

"If you died, who would tell me they love me? Who would I share the apartment with? _Who would help me build that Lego set…_ " the last sentence came out as a throaty sigh chock-full of grief about the unexpected that almost happened.

Her words echoed through their living room and eventually, through his head. He let tears roll down his face, wiping it with the back of his hand every so often, but not letting deep, unsettling emotions take over him. It seemed unwarranted to be as sentimental as Amy, especially with him as equally distressed an hour ago. It was obvious that he needs to step up and be the solace to her dire needs.

With his remaining strength, he pushed them up from awkwardly reclining to a full sitting position with Amy still clung to him. He scooted backward and let his body lay against the backrest before uttering, "I'm here now, Amy… I won't leave you alone, ever. I'm sorry if what I did is causing you so much pain… I'm sorry, Amy."

"That why it hurts! So much... And I hate it! Because it wasn't your fault… not even your fault… and I can't get my head over it, Sheldon…" The vehemence of their confession, which escalated rather quickly, proved to be only effective for a few minutes. Her pained cries eventually transformed into exceedingly mellow whimpers and occasional sobs. Her strained grip on his relaxed to the point where he can already feel the warmth of her grasp spiraling toward his body.

"You changed my life for the better. I assure you, you wouldn't have to worry about me to that extent. I love you, Amy," he murmured in her ear, allowing the sensations to take in.


	17. Chapter 17

Over the remaining weeks, Amy and Sheldon's bond got stronger and better. Who would have thought that being with someone would be this challenging yet so fulfilling? They've explored the unexpected wonders of marriage for the very first time without foreseeing about it too much. It did go well after the startling altercation that nearly changed everything.

After the incident, Sheldon and Amy, both worn out from weeping, inadvertently passed out on the couch with Amy on top of Sheldon, thighs around his waist and him barely had any support on his back against the backrest. Waking up a few hours later, with the sky transitioning to a red-orange hue from the sun's descent, both of them felt tension everywhere. Noticeably on their forehead, neck, arms, lower back, thighs. Though, not from the recent bout, but from the uncomfortable position they slept in.

They knew lunch was forgotten, and they didn't even have the strength to procure or cook dinner. _Screw lunch._ With no dissent or whatsoever, Sheldon agreed on feasting on Amy's unconsumed biscuits and turnovers they brought home from their brunch. Afterward, both of them immediately retired for the night without discussing too much about what happened.

Nevertheless, everything went smooth despite the difficulty. Obviously, the previously abandoned Lego set was eagerly built by Sheldon and an unenthused Amy. But it wasn't long before Amy was enjoying herself with helping that it was Sheldon who had to break away Amy from obsessing about it too much - by obsessing meant she took photos of it and put it in a photo collage side by side with the real-life picture.

They were aware that the box came with the packets and instructional guide, but what they didn't know was how exceptional their set was. According to the guide, there were two mini-figures: an Amy mini-figure — complete with the description: 'Bride, Doctor, Friend, Partner, Colleague, Intellectual Half 1, _Promising Woman'_ — and a Sheldon mini-figure — with the description: 'Bridegroom, Doctor, Friend, Partner, Colleague, Intellectual Half 2, _A Much Fortunate Man.'_ With their mini selves came different change of outfit ranging from their casual clothing to costumes they've worn on Halloween (even the costumes not worn on Halloween), and the much more formal ones they rarely see each other don.

Alongside, the mini-figures were the themed settings compromised by the remaining plastic packages. In it were the complete set of their apartment 4B and even the 4A, Amy's previous apartment, a cafe, a cinema theater, a train dining car with an interior, the comic book store, the waiting room down at the city hall, and their wedding venue and the subsequent reception. It was nice recreating those milestones in a Lego form. They took pictures of it and sent it to their friends with a certain caption of their milestone. Sheldon took a picture of the recreation of their wedding photo and planned to print it alongside their real wedding photo when they return back to Pasadena.

When they finally built every single one of it in a span of eight days (Amy insisted to do one per day and expected to finish in ten days but she gave in and let Sheldon build two sets in the last two days), Sheldon insisted on buying more sets recreating their reality but turned against it when Amy begged him that he should get it as her birthday gift instead.

With only a week left in their so-called 'time off', Sheldon and Amy had nothing left to do but just wait for the day to leave their temporary place—a symbolic place to commence a momentous journey for the both of them. Amy started working from home the week the guys visited them. She was expected to return to her study after their wedding and honeymoon but decided to let her co-researchers take charge while she was away taking care of Sheldon. Her contributions were supervising and analyzing the results and getting weekly reports from her researchers. She was hoping to return back into it as soon as they're home.

For Sheldon, his entertainment came from his Xbox, his tablet, and occasionally disturbing a working Amy by snuggling his head in the warmth of her neck until he falls asleep. In the end, Amy gives in, sets her laptop aside, and falls asleep to.

Hardly a week remaining until they set forth to Pasadena, honestly, there wasn't anything new about them. Well, except for the fact that their intimacy, one might say, is 'healthy, frequent, and _gentle_ ' Yes, gentle... as Sheldon was still prohibited to exert such effort. It was another normal, mundane morning for them. Amy glued on to her laptop again, being surrounded by papers and journals and books, and, surprisingly, a nice, hot cup of coffee which aroma transcended through the whole room. Sheldon, on the other hand, was busying himself with his tablet.

"Isn't it too early to have coffee?" Sheldon jabbed at her as he scrunched his eyebrows at the strong aroma.

"No. Why?" Amy replied curiously, set down her cup, and had her back against Sheldon.

"But why coffee? Can't you just get tea instead? Or probably milk?" He suggested, laying out all of her choices.

"Nope... I have to finish this by tomorrow. Besides, you wore me out last night. I was supposed to work on this had you not interrupted me," she recounted and glanced back at him and welcomed by a flushed Sheldon.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he sighed as he left his tablet on the couch. He stood up and sat at the empty chair beside Amy, only inches away from her. "So… overtime today?" he drawled, leaning against his palm with his elbow atop the table.

Amy looked at him with sorry eyes and sighed. "Yes, Sheldon… until tomorrow evening."

"Can I take you to dinner? I mean… not today, obviously… maybe the day after tomorrow?"

"Saturday? How about our laundry night?" Amy hesitated, knowing how Sheldon's adherence to his strict schedule is beyond his belief in God.

"Well, let's do it earlier. Today's a Thursday, right? But I never insisted date night," he declared, so proud of himself for being flexible about their schedule, particularly with Amy.

"If you place it like that," she defeatedly muttered. Ever since the incident, she never had a problem with what Sheldon wanted, may it be his preferred meal or an approved place to do whatever he wanted.

"So, it's a date?"

"It's a date," she reassured, placing a hand on his cheek.

* * *

"Good morning, Amy…" Sheldon muttered. His face merely inches away from Amy's. She scrunched her brows at Sheldon's greeting. Not that she hated being greeted in the morning, frankly, she just had a rough week and preferred sleeping before anything else.

"Rough night?" he asked but hesitated right away when Amy squinted her eyes at him, still frowning, and stared him down like a predator eyeing its prey.

Indeed, it was a harder night than she thought. She accidentally slipped into slumber at twelve midnight, in front of her laptop and an unfinished analysis, and woke up startled forty-five minutes after and elbowed her coffee mug, which cost her even more time

"Rougher than my Calculus professor in second year," Amy snapped and turned her back forcefully against Sheldon which left him surprised by Amy's sudden annoyance. "Sorry!" She quickly redeemed herself, looking back at him in a snap, and was out in seconds

"I'll let you sleep in," he soothed as he rose up from the bed and left Amy to redeem the hours she spent from working.

* * *

"Coffee?" He offered as he noticed Amy, in her light pink robe and dark circles under her eyes, turned the corner.

"Please," she insisted. There was no greeting or whatsoever. For Sheldon, it was beyond fine. He doesn't expect her to always be the sweet, compassionate Amy kissing him and cuddling him. Sometimes, she's indifferent, don't-bother-me type, and he has nothing against it.

"Good morning, Amy." he smiled timidly, gingerly setting her meal and her coffee, evaluating her current mood, while he took the seat in front of her.

"I'm sorry for my behavior awhile back," she avoided Sheldon's gaze and apologized for her misdemeanor. She noticed the breakfast Sheldon prepared: pancakes with smiley faces made with what seemed to be chocolate chips. "I don't remember today being pancake day," she curiously stated, a week of constant reading worked up her body but not her capacity to remember Sheldon's rigid schedule.

"No, it's not… Actually, it's cereal day. And I ditched it in favor of cooking for you," he revealed quite joyously, giving her a close-mouthed smile.

"Where'd you get the chocolate?" she questioned, suspicious about Sheldon's still smiling face.

"Bakery downstairs," he answered gleefully, not thinking about the consequences he's about to endure.

"What?!" Her eyes bulged at his revelation and sighed in resignation. "I told you, you shouldn't be by yourself walking."

"But it was only downstairs… and I took the elevator and brought my water jug," he reasoned out while aggressively pointing at his water jug.

"I know… but what if you passed out from walking? Remember four days ago? You almost passed out from that leg cramp!" she proved her point but that was caused by pretty much strenuous activity.

Sheldon was flustered by her argument. He remembered what happened, "B-But that was _sex_ , Amy…" he whispered with embarrassment, hands fidgeting from guilt.

"See! I told you! And I was the one doing most of the work… What more if you walked that far?" she explained, keeping her agenda straight to let Sheldon understand her predicament.

"Okay. I'm sorry," he raised his hand in surrender. "Gee, do something special for your wife and yet she still makes something out of it," he murmured but that didn't go unnoticed to Amy.

"Heard that," she chided but continued. "I know tonight will be special. And I promise I won't make anything out of it," she reassured as she took the last bite of her pancake. "Besides, this baby is delicious!" Her declaration made Sheldon chuckle. He giggled, even more, when she caressed her belly, soothing her 'food baby.'

_Soon enough you'll be caressing our child._

"Do you think this time next year… we'll have a child?" he asked. His excitement was too obvious despite his best effort to hide it.

"Let's revisit that in a few months, shall we?" she flashed a coy smile as she rose up, carrying her plate. She deflected further questions by announcing, "It's laundry day! Let's work hard, good Sir!" in a comical British accent.

* * *

"Amy, I need some assistance!" Sheldon bellowed from the room, glancing at his whole body in the mirror.

Date night doesn't always look like this in the past. A casual dinner in a Sheldon-approved restaurant — in which you could only count with your two hands — accompanied by social niceties and intellectual debates that spanned until their after-dinner tea party at 4A. After moving in together, date nights were usually domestic. Yes, casual dinner was maintained but with tamer debates and for sure, a lot of niceties and domestic remarks. Of course, the after-dinner tea party seemed to be a protocol, date night or not date night.

This night was incomparable from the others. To begin with, the venue was not on the official list of Sheldon-approved restaurant. It wasn't a casual dining nor a fine one. A restaurant without the commotion of a fast food nor a sommelier, which Sheldon always associated with fine dining. It was just a simple family-run Italian-American fusion restaurant in La Jolla which can house approximately 25 guests and a good enough view of the Pacific.

"Amy, the tie won't do it itself!" he repeated with a hint of impatience. _It's been a long time._

Amy scrambled from the bathroom into their bedroom, hair undone, and barefoot. "Must you shout twice?" she asked, raising her eyebrows while approaching him. In return, Sheldon turned crimson from guilt.

"I apologize," he started. "I'm just looking forward to our date," he reasoned out as his eyes traveled from her eyes down to her feet.

"You look striking, Amy."

"Same as you, handsome," she chuckled, making a mess of his tie that she herself took years to practice. "Why can't a genius do his own tie, huh?"

"I never really came across into learning it. And besides, Leonard does it for me," he shrugged triumphantly at his revelation.

"Good thing you and Leonard didn't get hitched," she said flatly, but deep inside, she's having a giggling fit.

"Why would we get married," he questioned, eyebrows scrunched with confusion.

"Nevermind." Amy sighed. "There… You're all set." Amy sized him up at arm's length, flattening his shirt with her palms. Or maybe she was just coping a feel. Nonetheless, she considered both actions good-natured.

"Thanks."

The image of Sheldon struggling with his tie like a teenager struck her as fascinating. He looked so innocent… and so fragile that she just wants to protect him at all costs. And that smile… Oh, that gentle smile softened her being.

Amy leered at him, beguiled by her husband's charisma.

"What?" he asked, looking at his face in the mirror as if there was something on his face.

Instead of answering, Amy closed the gap between them and pressed her body onto Sheldon. Her arms went below his underarm and held him tightly on his back. Her cheek buried on his chest, listening to the sound of his breathing, taking in what she can. The action caught Sheldon by surprise. His hands were awkwardly on-air before realizing what it really was and eventually yielded to the embrace.

"Why?"

"Just because…"


	18. Epilogue

It was unconventional for car rides to be considered as a delightful enterprise, not for Sheldon, that is. A great deal of car ride entertainments was either initiated by him or dismissed by him due to its disturbing manner. Music, particularly obnoxious, high-pitched teenagers and distorted auto-tuned hippies, gets into his skin and, if it's unreasonably exaggerated, disrupts into his mental processes and bodily functions.

But most weren't also deemed repulsive. In fact, he noticed a great correlation between quality car rides and the driver and/or the passengers. Surprisingly, much of the satisfying rides were shared with Amy. No music, no unnecessary chit-chats, not even the annoying insistence of what it is that he does not want any involvement. It was just pure respect… And a good deal of silence. Well… sometimes, noise is welcomed, Amy's noise especially.

They embarked in the longest ride ever since the evening of May 12th. Half hours consistently force you into wanting more. That was exactly what Sheldon wanted the moment they got off the car. Thirty minutes car rides with Amy appeared like an amusing intercourse, with just the two of them, with nothing else to do but stare at each other and do their own thing, that lingered for a short time before he was forced out.

"Sheldon?"

_Half-hour car rides?_

"Sheldon…"

_Not bad, huh?_

"Hey, Sheldon…" Amy snapped her fingers across Sheldon's dazzled face. He blinked once and then again and again until he broke from his stupor.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry… I was just… thinking." He stuttered, trying to acclimate their surroundings.

They were the only customers dressed up like celebrities attending some star-studded event. Well, the others might not wear casual street clothes but they weren't wearing clothes according to Sheldon and Amy's. Sheldon, in his trademark clean Ivy League cut which he reluctantly got from an unqualified barber in Encinitas, neatly combed and held down by a thin layer of pomade he brought just for their honeymoon. He donned a textured, deep burgundy tie partnered by a cadet blue button down, all underneath a ribbed, navy, crew neck sweater he rarely used—not to mention the light gray blazer he hung on his chair. Khaki trousers and dark brown oxford shoes finished his outfit that managed a few head turners.

Though, Sheldon wasn't the only one dressed magnificently. Amy let down the natural waves of her hair, pinning together the loose hair from the front to the back. The idea of wearing contacts eluded her due to such short notice and lack of resources. But Sheldon still finds her alluring with her glasses on. She went with a short-sleeved floral wrap dress, made with a light material, that reached just above her knees and heavily accentuated her body. The collar plunged down her chest, making a V out of it, exposing skin she hardly finds appealing. Without a doubt, her quite revealing outfit was toned down by wearing her classic cardigan—not too thick, just enough for the chill of Southern California.

"You were murmuring something about half hours," Amy whispered to a shell-shocked Sheldon; his mouth slightly ajar.

He shook his head vehemently and faltered, "I… I was just calculating our drive."

"I was asking about our orders," she peeked at Sheldon from the menu. "What would you like?"

He peered down at his own menu, perusing the options suitable for him. "Hmmm… I'll go with chicken piccata," he announced.

"Potatoes or pasta?" Amy raised her eyebrows, waiting for the answer.

"Potatoes, please. And, oh just water for me," he politely answered, flashing a sheepish smile.

Amy dropped the menu and called for the waiter. As she ordered, Sheldon noticed how Amy's form got definite by the second, and as everybody else was thrown in the back. It was surreal, and she was rhythmically moving her lips accompanied by her subtle hand gestures.

As if on cue, a flash of light illuminated Amy's body. Her _eyes_ — sparkling amidst the light's intensity. Her _lips_ — delectable, red. Her _wits_ — prominent among others. That thing she's managed to do so elegantly without too much exertion. As his trance magnified to an extent, the light emphasizing Amy got brighter and brighter, practically striking him blind.

"Sheldon, sure you're okay?" she asked full of uncertainty. She furrowed her eyebrows at Sheldon.

"Huh? Yes… Yes, I am!" he announced rather jittery. "Why wouldn't I be? Heh."

He hastily grabbed his napkin, near knocking off his utensils, and brushed it flat on his lap aggressively, muttering incomprehensible words. Amy didn't let his actions slide; she wasn't sure if his actions were either signs of impatience or he's just zealous about their date.

 _Keep your cool, Cooper_ , he thought as he felt beads of sweat trickling down his temple then to his jaw, tracing its way down to his collar.

"Amy, I think I'm ready," he announced with so much strength and awkwardness that people started gazing at them.

"To go home?" She looked bothered when Sheldon's display of agitation emanated through their table.

Instead of answering her question, Sheldon's eyes fluttered, taking a look at their surroundings. He felt dizzy and hot and unintelligible. He put his head down, supported by his hands, and breathed deeply.

His show of emotion isn't foreign to Amy anymore; She'd seen it in quite numerous occasions. Before anything got worse, Amy dragged her bulky wooden chair, causing a screeching sound that emanated through the hall, and situated it beside Sheldon's. She laid a hand on his back and jolted right away when she felt his unusual warmth.

"Do you feel unwell?" she questioned with a concerned tone.

Sheldon nodded faintly, his head still supported by his hands.

"C'mon, let's get this off," as she lifted his navy sweater out of his warm body. He tried his best to keep sane, lifting up his flailing arms and breathed some more when another obstruction was eradicated.

As soon as the collar escaped Sheldon's face, the waiter came with their dinner. Amy was fast enough to tear along with their server, immediately stop and practically dragged him to the counter. With her remaining morale, apologetically inform him that they'd prefer it in a takeaway and called for the bill, too.

She impatiently waited on the counter for their check, tapping her fingers on the sealed granite top accompanied by a furious thumping coming from her heels, and giving an eye on Sheldon from time to time. Immediately after retrieving what might be their dinner, she hurried her pace to a crimson-faced Sheldon, his chin now supported by both of his palm, who now looked a bit better than he was.

"C'mon, you're not feeling well," Amy softly mumbled, latching onto his elbows as though rising him up.

"How 'bout our date night?" Sheldon was rattled once more. He likes date night; this was the first time in weeks. _We can't go, Amy_ , he thought, gulping real hard as though he has something left to scarf down even harder.

"We'll eat at home," she uttered with conviction, draping his sweater and blazer on his arm and escorted her with a hand restricted of its use.

* * *

"Pardon me for the lackadaisical prediction of my behavior," he breathed deeply. "It was not meant to happen this way."

He buried his head further to the headrest, his veins bulging out of his hand from his tight grip on his seatbelt. Feeling a bit groggy, he shut his eyes, begging for Amy to say something to him.

"Amy, say something," he pleaded with his hoarse voice, eyes still slammed partly because of the wind blowing into the car. "Can we close the windows?"

Silence took over them, wind hustling in and out of the car, and left them in the fit of pique.

"Amy!"

"What do you want?!" Amy raised her voice, scowled at him, before white-knuckling on the wheel. Accidental or not, there was a split second were they accelerated beyond the limit which bothered him a little.

"I wanna go home…" he moped, eyes now wide open and taking in the sights obscured from their accelerated pace.

"We are!"

"Not Encinitas! Pasadena," he reasoned out, stretching his arms stiffly to exaggerate his point.

"Well, we can't; it's too late. Besides, it's not scheduled until Wednesday. So you'll have to wait."

Sighing in surrender, he kept impending words to himself instead. _This'll go nowhere_ , he discerned when both of them are hard rock and not giving in.

Puzzled by their gradual loss of momentum and an unforeseen change of direction, Sheldon terrified. "Where are you taking me?!" he raised his voice in hysteria.

No reply.

They turned the corner, the wind was getting eerily chill by the second, and was met with a dark pathway. It was like in those suspense films were the victim gets dragged into secluded areas, with no one coming to his aid, and murdered haphazardly.

"Are you going to kill me? Oh God, it's happening!" Now in a full-blown panic attack, he urgently grabbed onto the handle and yanked the door open.

Amy knew what was coming as soon as Sheldon professed his acquisition of God. On reflex, she stepped on the break—good thing was they were making a turn thus a much slower speed, almost causing her whiplash, and witnessed how Sheldon tumbled upon the dusty asphalt dramatically as if their speed caused him to roll away like in those video games.

Jerking the handbrake up, which caused a dissonant tune still ringing in her ears, and pulling away from her seatbelt, she jumped out of the car to his side of the road.

He was sitting on his left leg while the other was folded to his chest. His hand supporting himself off the body of the car.

"Are you trying to _kill_ me?!" he went hysterical, and maybe a bit nervous, on how everything went in a matter of second.

" _You_ are trying to kill yourself with what you just did." She matched his hysteria but deep down, she's concern about him. Reaching him around the door, she knelt to his level and dust off the dirt on his face.

"The hell are you doing?" Amy's voice rose up in fright. Clearly, she was worried about Sheldon but both of them were astounded by his actions.

"I thought you were going to kill me."

"Jesus! Are you nuts? Why would I?"

"Maybe you're upset about me and don't want to deal with this anymore," he whispered as he tried his best to stand up by leaning his hand on the car and holding onto Amy's arm. With aching legs, he stood up, leering at Amy, and breathing shallowly.

"Are you hurt?" Amy sought his eyes.

"Just my shin, feet, left shoulder, and palms; I think I scraped it," he proved it by heedfully turning his palms up and showing it to Amy. There it was; the heel of his hands manifested their effort to break the fall. Scrapes and scratches were dense on his heel and small tears were on his sleeve that brought protection on his arms.

"Okay, just get inside." She assisted him. "And don't you dare jump again," she followed up, displaying that she was serious by pointing at his chest.

"Where are you taking me, anyway?" He was puzzled by the sudden change of direction. They were supposed to go straight and into Encinitas but instead, Amy turned right to a road that seemed to lead nowhere.

"To a coastal park; to get some fresh air in you," she explained, turning on the ignition. "You look like you need some."

* * *

"We really don't have to go here. I'm fine," insisted Sheldon, trailing behind Amy in an open space of land that stretches out to the sea, with his blazer draped in his one good arm.

"Well, technically, we don't need to—"

"See! I told you—"

"But, my stomach's growling and it might feast on you if you let me drive that thirty minutes," she teased Sheldon, letting out a guffaw.

"Amy!"

"Do you want me to starve?"

"Of course not! but we didn't really have to."

Amy let out a sigh and turned toward Sheldon. "You had a massive panic attack in a restaurant, rolled off a moving car even if you know you're not supposed to, and hurt yourself by doing so. I wouldn't just let you slump in there in agony; we have to assess your condition," she explained as she showed him a pouch. "And partly because the food isn't that good enough when cold."

They vacated a picnic table near one of the lit lamp posts. Sheldon expected Amy to sit across from him but she sat beside him instead. Laying down a paper bag containing their dinner on top of the table, she immediately rummaged inside a safari-themed travel pouch that's been stuffed idly on her glove compartment for months right before this time. After retrieving what seemed to be a spray bottle of suspicious liquid, she sprayed some on her hand, deliberately spreading it on every nook, and closed the gap between them, her palm pointing up as she waited for him.

"Give me your hands," She clutched his hands before waiting for his response.

After unbuttoning his cuffs and folding it up to itself, she started palpating his upper arm and then the other, on the lookout for his reaction. _No reaction._ She moved downwards to his elbows, folding it open and close, waiting for his reaction. _Still nothing_. Moving down again, she palpated his wrist — right first and then left — and she got the reaction. Sheldon whimpered as she carefully moved his wrist.

"Pain?"

"Yes, but not too much," he defended.

Amy fiercely palpated it some more to evaluate its condition. Sheldon, being a slave to pain, yelped even louder and flinched at her touch.

"Not too much, huh?" Amy smirked.

"It's really not that much. You just got a little deep in there," Sheldon insinuated while clutching his arm to his chest.

Amy sighed. "Maybe it's just a sprain. No broken bone or anything…" she explained while retrieving the alcohol.

"I guess not. Look, I can still move it," he demonstrated while motioning his arms, "But my left arm might be a little bruised," he concluded as he caressed his arm

"Alright, we'll ice it at home," she said. "Palms," she requested with her hands up. With the spray bottle on one hand and Sheldon's wrists on the other, she deliberately sprayed its contents on his palms and up to his

"Ow... ow... owie!" he hissed and flinched his hands at the direct contact of the liquid. "Stop that, Amy!" he nearly jumped up when another spritz hit his palm.

"Tsk. Don't move," Amy chided and jerked his hands closer, which elicited another moan from him and, in turn, an aggressive apology from her.

"Can we stop with the alcohol now?" Sheldon pleaded, more like demanded, for her to quit agonizing him. Amy conceded and dropped the bottle. Without letting go of his hand, she twisted her body to retrieve a gauze pad and pat the area dry.

"Be grateful that I have my first aid kit on hand otherwise we would wash that hand with seawater," she said while being careful with his hands.

Sheldon hissed when that unsanitary idea came up, "Don't we have clean water?"

"Unfortunately, no. We forgot your jug at home. I was expecting that we won't be needing one because they have it in the restaurant already," she recounted. "I guess I'm wrong."

"Do you want me to wrap it up?"

"Oh, no need. The wounds will heal themselves," he reassured, swatting his right hand to decline.

"I mean your wrist… just to limit the pain." Without any delay, she pulled out an elastic band—complete with locking tabs—and started to unroll it.

She reached for his hand, so delicate that she'll protect it for life, and meticulously started wrapping it along with his joint—up and down, in and out, ultimately, locking it.

"There," Amy admired her work, checking for its tightness, and patting it reassuringly. "Look at you! You look like a rebellious teenager caught in a fight!"

Sheldon examined his hand and said, "I do feel like an amateur boxer…" He glanced at Amy, looking fondly at him, her eyes twinkling amidst the darkness.

"We should eat," she blurted out. She widened her eyes and stumbled upon the contents of their paper bag, drawing each black container out and serving it in front of him.

The whistling of the wind, coming from the sea and hitting them in a distinct ocean scent they've rarely come across to, accompanied the indistinct clashing of plastic into plastic, the inaudible chomping both of them were lost in, and the serene yet deep rising and falling of their breath. There are a lot of activities they never really encountered as a couple before. The list goes on and on; from hiking mountainous trails to camping outdoors, from experiencing snow (Amy was anticipating snow in Big Bear but was left disappointed when a hail storm overtook their trip instead) to cozying up in front of the fireplace, those activities that Amy yearned were in no way revisited or proposed once more.

Visits to the ocean or even along the ocean — aquariums were not counted — deemed as one of those activities that never came across their schedules. Being that Santa Monica's the closest beach from Pasadena, they'd rather not visit that hotspot. But this time, it was welcomed with open arms, with just a little neurotic fit, and Sheldon seemed to have his pleasant time as the sea breeze hit their face.

Eyeing Amy as she opened her mouth for another bite, he felt oddly breathless. It has well been nine years since he first laid eyes on her and from then on, everything blossomed into something much valuable connection he'd never had.

Placing his spork against the edge of the container, he reached for a tissue and wiped his lips clean. He cleared his throat and pondered for a moment, with his head looking straight, about how was he going to voice this to Amy.

"Amy…" he gazed at her, attempting to spark a conversation.

Amy returned his gaze and asked, "Yes?"

"Uh, can I borrow that?" he requested, pointing at her left hand.

"What… this?" she raised her hand. "The rings?" she asked glancing at her hand and back to him, her gaze full of curiosity.

"Just, uh, the wedding ring," Sheldon pointed at it with his neck stretched and as if he was peeking at something.

"Oh, okay," Amy gave in, still bewildered, and took off her ring and handed it to him.

He clutched it with his hand wide open as if trying to balance it, wary about breaking and tainting it, and stood up with his unstable legs. He positioned just beside her and asked, "Amy, can you face here?"

Amy was just as puzzled by this action. With scrunched brows and back straight, she faced him fondly. "Is this some surprise? Because if it was, you don't look appropriately dressed for the occasion." She let out a hearty laugh as Sheldon remained with his face displeased with the joke.

"Really? You're gonna mock me?" he replied, still having a stern expression.

Amy's laugh dwindled down after several seconds, wiping off tears due to laughing. "Okay, okay! I'm done," she apologized but still letting out a few giggles.

"Alright. Here goes nothing."

Keeping his stance in front of her, he dusted off his unevenly tucked shirt, his burgundy tie long forgotten in the car, and began his long-winded and highly anticipated monologue he's been meaning to express.

"Amy," he started. "I usually know exactly what to s-say. But at this moment… I have no words," he let the words rhythmically drawl out of his lips.

Amy gasped heavily amidst the touch of the breeze as his words hit a certain familiarity. _His vows_. Her hand instantaneously covered her mouth in utter amazement. With Sheldon's crippled hand making its way out of his pocket and the other hand still grasping her ring, he stepped once, just a foot away from her, and knelt on one leg down. Her expression got much palpable with his words.

"I guess… I'm overwhelmed by you," he continued. "In a good way! Not in an elevator in a haunted mansion way," that part got the giggles from the Amy and him, looking so vulnerable at this time. "Even if I can't tell you now how I feel, I will spend my life showing you how much I love you," he ended, gazing at her underneath his lashes. As he was preparing himself to rise up in his feet, he almost forgot about the most crucial thing to his piece. He stumbled with his hands for a little bit before grasping her trembling hand. He slipped the harbinger of their union in her ring finger as he teased, "Don't tremble too much. I can't seem to make you like Saturn," then laid a soft kiss on her ring.

He rose up, hand still in hers, and flushed her into his body; her warmth flowed through him, converging into something that he could use to pull through life and its misgivings

"How did—"

"I've got someone take good care of me," he whispered in her ear as his hand traveled from her back to her hair, pulling her into him closer. Soft muffled sobs were coming from Amy as they swayed to the rhythm of the ocean.

Amy pulled her head away and asked, "Do you remember it all?" She ran her palms on his shoulder, feeling it as it relaxed on her touch.

"Just the words — our _words_. But nothing more," he replied, apologetic for not being able to remember it even though this wasn't his fault, "But I'd love to dance with you to commemorate our first dance… Wait, did we have one?" he eagerly asked her.

"We did!" she cheerfully affirmed, burrowing her head on his neck as she inhaled his musky scent.

"You know, I have a state-of-the-art brain and, come to think of it, an eidetic memory; I might be able to summon up those long lost wedding memoirs."

"You know what, I think you can," she heartened his spirit. "I know you will, Sheldon… you will."

* * *

**END**


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